Relapse
by Herpalerp
Summary: Sequel to 'Obsession.' Droog and the Hand had been defeated. Klipse and Charlemange taken under S.T.O.R.M.'s custody. Things were looking up for Chase and his parents. But when old enemies are looking for revenge, he'll have to think fast before they take away what's valuable to him. But what can be more valuable then family?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Helloooooo Everyone! It's good to be back!

I've been working on this for the past few months now, but couldn't get too much work done since my beta left for two weeks (and since she lives in a place with no wifi I couldn't even get in contact with her .) So most of the story couldn't be published even if I wanted to, and I ended up watching the whole series.

It was actually really weird to watch the third season in english dub, and I'll admit it was hard to really get behind it (my beta despised that season).

BUT! I've managed to get this done and here we go! Sequel time! Takes place after season three/post cannon! For those that don't know, go read "Obsession" before hand!

Enjoy!

* * *

The sun shone through the windows in small beams, slowly lighting up the room. A teen with raven black hair let out a sigh as he rolled over, feeling the warmth hitting his face. Slowly, he blinked a little as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"What a nice dream," he said, then leaned up, "Although I don't think I actually remember. Oh well."

He looked over to his bedside table, seeing his cores resting on top. If he remembered right, they had a big mission today. Well... Bigger then most of the usual missions that Trey assigned them. He let out a yawn, then got out of his bed and stretched a little. He stopped for a moment when he smelt something amazing coming from the kitchen. Pancakes.

He whipped on his clothes as fast as he could, grabbing his cores just as fast, then ran out to the kitchen. He was greeted by a woman with teal eyes that instantly lit up at his appearance.

"Good morning, Chase," she said.

"Hey mom! Are those what I think they are?"

Sophia Suno gave him a smile, her brown hair curling around her face in a small bob, "Of course. You did ask yesterday."

He let out sound of excitement, then sat at the table. His father, Jeredy Suno, wasn't there, though that could've been for other reasons.

"Did Dad leave to the lab already?" Chase asked, already stabbing at the plate of hotcakes and drizzling them with syrup.

"Yes. He said something about strange readings of monsuno energy. Though I wouldn't worry about it," she responded, then sat down next to him as he started eating.

It had been a few weeks since he and his friends had taken out Digby Droog and the remains of the Hand of Destiny, and things had finally started to settle down. They all still worked with S.T.O.R.M., seeing that Dr. Tallis was still out there somewhere, causing mayhem with the rest of the Forge resistance.

And yet, things weren't as dire as they used to be, and work had become surprisingly calming. Klipse and Six were in custody, and Charlemange had been taken out of head of command long ago, with Jon Ace replacing her as Commandant Marshall. Even Chase and his family were welcomed into S.T.O.R.M., now residing in one of the Cloud Carriers that journeyed in the skies.

"ATTENTION," a speaker blared, "BRIEFING BY COMMANDANT MARSHALL ACE IN FIVE MINUTES."

"It looks like your being called to duty," Sophia said, then gave him a smile.

"Yeah I suppose," Chase said, setting his fork on his now empty plate. He stood up, placing his cores on his belt, "I guess I'll see you after my mission today."

"Of course," she said, then stood as well. She gave him a small hug, "Be careful out there."

"Aren't I always?" he chuckled. He took off to the door as she waved. Even though it was a normal thing to do now, it was something that he appreciated every time. Both his parents now back in his life, and getting to battle monsuno everyday.

"Hey! Chase!"

He looked forward to see Bren and Jinja standing at the door of the briefing room. It wasn't a surprised that Dax and Beyal weren't there. Usually, those two were given different missions then the rest of them (at least none of them had to work with Strike Squad).

(For the most part.)

"Hey guys, did I miss something? Did they already say what our mission is?" Chase asked.

"Kinda of. Everyone else already got their missions," Bren said shrugging, "We're the only ones who haven't, but Commandant Marshall Ace hasn't said anything yet."

"He said to wait a moment after he got done briefing the regular troops," Jinja added, "I hope it's not patrol duty or something."

"I doubt it. We've had a good string of missions lately," Chase said, "He wouldn't do that."

The door opened, and soldiers started pouring out of the room. The three teens waited a moment as they cleared the room before entering, Jon Ace standing at the front with Commander Trey at his side.

"Ah. There you are," Jon said, "I'm reassigning you to a different area today. You'll be picking up and safe guarding a small shipment of monsuno energy."

"Oh good. Delivery duty," Bren whispered as Trey brought up a map on the large screen behind him.

"You'll have to be careful though," Trey said, eyeing them a bit, "There's a reason this shipment is smaller then the usual ones. It contains highly sensitive energy that has been unstable for the past few months. You'll have to use extreme caution when handling it."

"Of course. Caution is my middle name," Chase said, "By the way, you said a new area. Where are we delivering it?"

"You'll be delivering here. So it's more like pick up duty if anything," Jon Ace said, "Dr. Suno wants to do some research on it to find out why its been acting up lately. The area you are going to is towards the south west. There's a S.T.O.R.M. base there that's hidden in the jungle. I doubt any of you have seen it."

Trey walked over to Bren, handing him a small key card.

"Use this. It has the location of the base. As well as the codes needed to enter," he said, then walked back over to the map.

"Don't worry," Chase said, then started walking to the door, "Dr. Tallis hasn't caused trouble in a while. I doubt he'd start now."

The three of them left the room, and started heading for the upper deck for a cloud carrier. Bren swiped the card into one of the panels of the cloud hopper, already getting to work on the location.

"So how have things been?" Jinja asked Chase, "Since we've been getting fewer missions, you must love being at home so much."

"Yeah. It's actually been really nice," he replied as they got into the elevator up to the top, "Even though my dad has been busy as usually, I still get to hang out with mom. She has a lot of stories about the two of them back in the day."

"You mean when your dad didn't have wrinkles?" Bren asked, "Can't imagine that."

Chase laughed a bit, "It's funny though. I didn't think we were really alike. But from the sound of things we were."

"I couldn't imagine why," Jinja said slyly as the doors opened. They walked over toward their usual cloud hopper (named Core Tech 1 by Bren), giving a casual wave to the occasional soldier that walked by. When they weren't hunting down people and monsuno, who knew that they soldiers would actually be really nice.

"Alright. We need to stay above the clouds until we get close. Commandant Marshall Ace wants us to keep this location safe," Bren said, tapping at the computer as they sat down. Chase started up the engine, and the ship took off.

It was after a few minutes of gliding along did they started to converse again.

"So how're things with you guys?" Chase asked as he steadied the ship along.

"Things are good over at the mines," Bren said, "In fact, my parents want us to go over sometime. My mom even said she has a new recipe she wants to try."

Chase couldn't help but drool a bit at the thought of Bren's mom's cooking. The last time they were there, all he did was eat (not that he complained). He also forgot what it was like to visit his best friend's house, and would have to do it on his days off more often. "What about you Jin? Things going alright?"

"Yeah I guess," she said, looking out the window, "My parents have been sending me emails and such. But lately it's been taking them longer to respond... It makes me wonder what's going on..."

Chase glanced over, seeing a distant look in her eyes as she kept staring out the window. Her parents were a little different then his and Bren's. Both were entrepreneurs, who own a variety of businesses throughout her home city and the continent. To be honest, when Chase decided to leave to find his father, he didn't ask the two of them to follow. Somehow, they found out, and ran after him.

Bren had told his parent's a story about how he became Commandant Marshall of S.T.O.R.M. (which didn't go over too well). Luckily, his parents understood after he explained a few weeks ago. Jinja, on the other hand, didn't say anything to hers (although that was hardly her fault, seeing that they were busy most of the time).

They were surprisingly strict, and she left without saying anything. It was only after the small group had been traveling for a while did she tell the two. As soon as they had gotten into S.T.O.R.M. a few months ago, she finally contacted them. Jinja never really mentioned them much, and both Chase and Bren didn't try to push the issue. Sometimes it was better to back off when it came to her personal life, and the two of them knew that from experience.

Chase gave a glance back to Bren, who just shrugged.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much Jin," Chase said, "Maybe you could ask for a break this weekend and go see them."

Jinja looked at him, then smiled faintly, "Yeah. I suppose. Dad did mention renovating one of the hotels. Maybe we could all take a trip there."

"But if we're going on vacation, we have to stop at my parent's place too," Bren added, "I want to pick up a few things for my old room!"

Chase let out a chuckle, "Yeah, yeah. We can do that."

It was silent after that as they soared over the clouds. Chase enjoyed being able to fly so casually through the skies, without having to worry about someone coming after them. He looked towards the distance, smiling a bit.

But then he saw something.

It was brief, but it was something white moving along. He squinted to try and see it, but it was still too far. It was too big to be a bird, and they weren't high enough to hit an airplane. It moved again, and he thought he saw a white feathery wing.

This wasn't the first time either. He remembered seeing something like that a while back when they had faced off against the Hand of Destiny. Well... Not the Hand directly, but rather ones who worked under them. It was weird, why did that suddenly make him think about that...

"... Chase! The controls!"

He blinked, then realized the ship was now starting to turn sharply to the side. He immediately straightened it out again.

"Geez. Not get enough sleep last night or something?" Bren asked.

"No. I just got distracted," he replied, shaking his head a bit. He tried to look forward to find whatever it was, but it was long gone.

'Maybe I just imagined it,' he said.

HLP

He let out another yawn for the fifth time in the past two minutes. While doing security work for S.T.O.R.M. could be proven to be dangerous, most of the time it was downright boring. At least whenever Dax was put on it.

"Oi Monkfish. When does that little coffee shop on the outside of town close?" he asked, glancing out the window of the small van they were in and looked out towards the setting sun.

"I think six or seven. They close very early on the weekends," Beyal said. He was currently holding onto one of his cores, but that was mostly out of habit. They had been sitting outside of another museum for the past three hours now, just in case Dr. Tallis had the nerve to try and steal bones again. Since Klipse was arrested, however, the other doctor hadn't the nerve to try and make a move on his own (but that just left missions like these boring beyond all hell).

The trees nearby started to rustle from the wind. The only other noise besides the two's small talk. Dax let out a sigh. Sometimes he wished that there was some more action, even if it was one monsuno fight or two.

"Maybe we could get donuts at the place next door instead," Dax said with a yawn.

"But the Cloud Carrier isn't far from here. Wouldn't it just be easier to go back and eat?" Beyal asked.

"No, no, no. Nu-uh," Dax tutted, "While S.T.O.R.M. has good food, it doesn't have that homie charm to it. There's no old-fashion taste to it that you get from the locals."

It was silent again. Dax looked down at the clock on the dashboard with a sigh as the sun finally disappeared behind the mountains. He always found it weird that they would be put on missions half way across the world that left them wide awake well into the night. Of course boredom would easily lull him to sleep in a heartbeat (like it was now).

He continued to watch the clock until there was only a few minutes left of their shift. Why was it that time got slower as soon as something was about to end?

"Actually lets just go now," he said, turning the van on.

"B-but weren't we supposed to stay until nine?" the monk argued, even though he put his seatbelt on knowing they would go anyway.

"Oh what's a few minutes. We'll just grab something real fast like and come back. It's not like anyone would notice," Dax shrugged, putting the vehicle in gear and heading down the road. They barely got out of the parking lot before seeing two familiar faces.

Dax hit the brakes hard, swerving the car to a halt. The two teens got out and eyed the old man and assassin on the far side.

"What're you two bozos doing here?" Dax said, folding his arms.

"Just taking care of a few errands for Dr. Tallis," Dom Pyro said, chuckling under his breath a little. Dax let out a sigh. Maybe the doctor wasn't keeping under the radar as much as he thought.

"Now if you two wouldn't mind," Hargrave said, raising a core, "Step aside."

The two teens exchanged looks before taking out their cores. Looks like things were about to get exciting.

HLP

The rest of the ride was quiet, beside Bren's occasional chatter. They slowly came down and out of the clouds to see the lush jungle below. It was hard to see where a landing platform could be, much less any buildings.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Jinja asked, glancing around at the trees and mountains.

"It looks like it," Bren said, looking down at the Core Tablet, "According to this, we should see a landing area somewhere by a river and a cliffside... Over there!"

Chase steered over to the spot, careful as to land in the small open area (which wasn't easy at all). The three of them walked out, casting glances all about.

"So which way now?" Jinja asked, "I still don't see the base.

"And I don't think you would," Bren said, "It seems like the base was built into the mountain side as to blend into the surroundings. It looks like this was supposed to be one of the REALLY top secret bases."

"Huh. I wonder what's in it that makes it so special," Chase said. They followed Bren as he guided them along with the Core Tablet. Usually they didn't need it anymore, considering they had all of S.T.O.R.M.'s tech at their disposal. But Bren was still attached to it, and carried it whenever he could.

They walked for a good few minutes before they reached the mountain side. Sure enough, there was a large metal door hidden by some plants. Bren looked for the key pad, and inserted the card from Trey. There was a hum of electricity, and the door creaked open slowly.

They walked inside, but stopped when they had reached the first intersection of halls. It was extremely quiet, with only the hum of electricity from the lights being heard.

"You'd imagine there would be some guards waiting for us here," Chase said. It was odd that no one was around, especially if this was a top secret facility. Still, he didn't let it bother him.

"It does seem a little creepy that we haven't seen anyone," Jinja noted. They continued to walk through the desolate halls until they reached the main storage room. It was large, with many metal crates all around.

"Is this all monsuno essence?" Chase asked, lifting one of the lids to look inside. Surprisingly, it was empty.

"Not anymore," Bren said, "Apparently this was one of the old S.T.O.R.M. research labs used to develop their cores. But they've been transferring all the records and samples back for you're dad's research."

"I guess that makes sense," Chase said, "So where is this monsuno energy we need to grab? In another room?"

Bren tapped at the Core Tablet a few times before speaking again, "No, this is the only room. According to the report, they should be towards the back left corner of the room."

Sure enough, after searching through a few of the crates, they found the monsuno essence.

"Alright, let's get this outta here," Chase said, then took a core out, "Locke, launch!"

In a flash of blue appeared his partner, Locke. Except he was in hyper mode, something that was a recent change, but a good one nonetheless.

"Chase, what're you doing?" Jinja asked, "Isn't it a little dangerous to spin out so close to this monsuno essence? We're supposed to be careful with this stuff!"

"I didn't spin directly at it, and this is to get things done quicker," Chase said, then turned to his monsuno, "Locke, could you carry these crates outside?"

The monsuno huffed in response, and picked up the crate with ease, pushing it towards the entrance.

"Will our monsuno even fit?" Bren asked.

"The halls were big enough, so probably," Chase shrugged, "But if not, at least they'll get them at the entrance of this giant warehouse."

Bren put a finger to his lip in thought, "... Good point."

"Longfang!"

"Charger!"

"Launch!"

Sure enough, it only took them fifteen minutes to move all the energy outside of the base (shockingly, Chase was right about the halls being big enough), and they all switched out their monsuno once the eight minutes were up, now having Babeon, Neo-Quickforce, and Whipper out to help. When their time was almost up, only one crate was left.

"Alright! We'll be back home in no time," Chase said, "And they thought it was going to be a hard mission."

Babeon picked up the last crate as Jinja and Bren called back their monsuno. Before he moved, his monsuno gave Chase a puzzled look, which made him frown.

"...What? Is something wrong?" He asked. It set the crate back down, and Chase opened the top off. He peered inside, and let out a small gasp.

"What is it Chase?" Jinja asked, and she and Bren looked in as well, seeing an almost empty crate.

"Wait... Where's the energy containers at?" Bren asked looking around, "I mean. There's still a lot of energy we got, but not as much as there should be. Commander Trey's not gonna be happy about this-"

The lights suddenly died, and Bren let out a squeak of surprised. Luckily, there were high windows on the back wall that gave enough light for them to see.

"Geeze Bren, I didn't think you were such a fraidy cat," Jinja said slyly, "Oh wait. Yeah. I did."

Bren let out a grumble, snapping a glowstick and lighting up the area nearby.

"I wonder what killed the power," Chase said, looking around.

"I think this place is just old," Bren said, "Maybe they just cut the electricity today. Which could be why they asked us to pick up all this monsuno energy.

It made some sense, although that was pushing it a little. Chase looked around the enormous room and shadows all around. For a second he thought he saw something move, but that might've been his imagination.

"Anyway, I'm sure the missing energy'll show up eventually," Chase shrugged, "Let's just haul the rest back and call it a day."

"Yeah. Except we'll be in a lot of heat considering there's a certain amount we're supposed to bring back," Jinja said, "And we really can't be getting into any more trouble."

"They've got to be around here somewhere," Bren said,"Monsuno energy doesn't just go missing-"

There was an echo of something dropping, and the three teens jumped. Quickly turning, they all froze as a figure cloaked in black stood on the far side of the room, holding energy containers under their arms. Whoever they were, seemed to stare back under their hood. None of them reacted for a few seconds. One of the containers slipped from the person's grasp, and hit the ground with a thud.

That snapped them all out of their daze.

"STOP!" Chase shouted. They bolted further into the warehouse, and Chase trailed after. He could hear the others following him, but tried to focus on catching up with the other, which wasn't easy. Whoever they were, it was obvious that they weren't from S.T.O.R.M. Maybe they were from the Forge Resistance? Or maybe even Klipse?

The figure took a turn, and cursed as it was a dead end, trapped between the tall metal cases. Chase stood in the way back, reaching for a core just in case.

"You got nowhere to run!" Chase said, "Now turn around slowly so that-"

With a graceful jump, the person leapt onto the metal cases. Without a second glance, they ran on top back towards the exit.

"Ugh. It's times like these that I wished Beyal was with us," Chase frowned, then started to run after them again, "Babeon, clamering claw!"

The blue monsuno ran towards the figure, paws lighting up. The person quickly turned to look and picked up speed. Babeon jumped up for an attack and brought its glowing claw down. It sliced through the metal containers, yet somehow missed.

"Where...?" Chase stammered for a bit, then gasped when he saw the person had jumped around and was back on the ground. They cast him a sideways glance, though he couldn't see their face.

"Stop right there!" Jinja exclaimed, her and Bren standing on the other side of the walkway. Babeon let out a huff, lurking above them all as it stood on the large metal containers.

"You got nowhere to run now," Chase said, "So start talking-hey!"

The person took one of the containers they held, and threw it at Chase. He only had a second to react before running to catch it before it could spill all over the ground. Without a second glance, the person slipped past him.

"Agh! Babeon!"

The monsuno grunted then pounced down. The person turned around, and was struck in the face when Babeon swiped. Fabric ripped, and they fell back in surprise. Before they could get up, Babeon stood in front of them, growling down.

"Babeon, back off a little," Chase said. Their monsuno never attacked anyone directly, and there was something making his monsuno on edge. It grunted a little in responds, and only took one step back, still glowering at the figure on the ground.

"Okay. Now there's nowhere to run," Jinja said as the three of them stood a few feet behind them.

"Alright, now spill it: Who are you and who are you working for?" Chase demanded. The figure made a sound of protest before they stood up, turning around so they could somewhat see their face now. It was a teen with black hair and green eyes that didn't look familiar at all. Bren let out a gasp.

"it's you!" he exclaimed. The other sneered at the teen with glasses.

"Oh, it's you too," he huffed, standing up as he glared at them all. One of his arms was full of containers filled with monsuno essence.

"Um... Want to fill us in Bren? How do you know this guy?" Jinja asked. Bren hesitated for a moment before he answered, cautiously looking at the other.

"Um... This is going to sound crazy," he said, "But that's one of the guys from the Hand of Destiny."

* * *

A/N: As usual, review review review!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I should point out that I'm still working on the oneshot (although pair(s) have been picked as far as the ship. Still, if anyone wants to give a suggests please send a message (don't hesitate to write in the review either).

Speaking of which, thanks to ChasexJinjaForever for already reviewing and for the follows/favs. So glad you guys are up for this sequel!

Enjoy!

* * *

 _The sky was a mix of oranges and reds as the sun started to set, with only a few clouds scattered about. The wind rustled some of the leaves in the trees, but barely rose over a gentle breeze. The town near the coast was now starting to wind down as nighttime approached._

 _A woman stood under one of the trees, gazing out from a top the hill down towards the bustling streets and ocean nearby. It was peaceful for the time of being, and hopefully it would last just as long._

 _There was a small sound, and she looked down at the bundle in her arms. The small black haired baby was now stirring in his sleep. She quickly rocked him gently, humming with a smile as he calmed down. There was a brief moment where the child smiled. He looked a lot like father in that sense._

 _She looked outward again, taking a deep breath of the fresh air all around. It was nice being able to take things easy from time to time. Even though she had her own duties to attend to. But how could she? Not now that she was looking forward to starting a new beginning. Even if his father was still wanting to do research, they would make this work. They would be a family._

 _"_ _Excuse me."_

 _She turned around, seeing five people in white lab coats standing a few feet away. They were pale, and had a disturbing presence to them that disrupted the peaceful air._

 _"_ _Who are you," she demanded, unconsciously tightening her grip around her child. The one in the middle took a few steps towards the two. His lips curled into a smile as he looked at the two._

 _"_ _I'm afraid you'll have to come with us."_

HLP

The air became tense at the reveal, and Chase looked back and forth between Bren and the black haired teen. It had been almost a month since they had dealt with Droog and the remains of the Hand of Destiny, and even longer since they had dealt with the rest of the organization. It was then that Chase recognized the dark cloak the teen was wearing,

"You're one of those four," he said, clutching Babeon's core. The monsuno responded by growling down at the teen, who merely glanced at it.

The kid didn't respond either, and looked forward at them with a cold gaze. Chase grit his teeth a little. He remembered the incident with the Hand of Destiny in the desert and the Original Monsuno. It had caused trouble between him and his friends, and even more problems when it came to his own feelings regarding his mother.

If he remembered right, there were four that were sent out by the Hand of Destiny. One of whom had brown hair that Chase had talked to that left as the ruins were being destroyed. He wasn't sure what happened to that guy, but assumed he had made it out. He never saw two of them, but heard stories from Bren and Beyal. And then the last one that looked like his mother had...

Chase shook his head quickly, getting those past thoughts out of his mind for the moment.

"So what are you doing here?" he demanded, "And what do you need monsuno essence for? Making more shapeshifter cores?"

"Selling it on the black market?" Bren asked.

"Or maybe to Klipse or the Forge Resistance?" Jinja added on.

The teen was silent. He lazily looked at each of them, his green eyes traveling slowly. Chase got a cold chill when they finally landed on him.

"You're Chase Suno," he said. Chase raised a brow when he didn't say anything else, and glanced at the other two. They both shrugged.

"... Well? What are you doing here?" Chase continued. The teen didn't answer, and instead took off the glove on his free hand. He grabbed one of the containers he held, and tossed it up and down a few times, eyes following it. He stopped and clenched onto the glass part, then grinned darkly at them.

Bren let out a gasp of realization, "He's going to-"

The container burst open, blinding them all with green light. They all gasped, shielding their eyes. Babeon let out a roar, and Chase tried to look to see why but couldn't. As soon as the light faded, they all saw that the teen was gone, leaving the empty remains of the energy container he held.

"Where...?!" Chase stammered, "Where did he go?"

"The exit!" Bren said. They all started to run, but then Babeon let out a whine. Chase turned around to see it collapse onto the floor.

"Babeon! What's wrong?!" He asked. The monsuno let out a huff, but didn't move. Chase held out the core, "Return."

"Hurry Chase! Or we'll lose him!" Jinja shouted as she and Bren started to run. Chase followed, looking around in case the other had hid instead of running to the exit. They picked up speed when they could see the teen's outline as they got to the entrance that led back out to the jungle.

"Stop!" Chase shouted. Just as the metal door opened, the teen threw some sort of ball of light at the control panel on the side just as the door slid shut. Chase immediately ran for it, but nearly slammed into it as the door stayed closed instead of automatically opening.

"Oh man, he fried the key pad!" Bren said as they stood in front of it. Sure enough, the panel looked like it had been blown in half, sparks flying occasionally.

"You think you could fix it fast?" Jinja asked as Bren started picking through some of the wires carefully.

"Not fast, but I can fix it," he said. Chase peeked out of the small rectangular window on the door to see the teen was now glancing around in the metal cases, picking up some of the containers of energy.

"Oh great, now he's stealing more," Chase huffed, "Who's idea was it to put it outside."

"Um... Your's?" Jinja sighed, "You know. To 'get it done quicker'."

Chase frowned, but then let out a gasp, "That's right! It's big enough in here for us to spin out! Let's try and bust down the door."

"Uh. I don't think that's gonna work," Jinja said, putting a hand on her hip, "S.T.O.R.M. bases were made to hold up again monsuno. I doubt this door would be that easy to bust through."

"But if we don't do something, he's going to get away!" Chase said, "Besides. Have you forgotten the power up we got a few months ago? Our monsuno are a lot stronger now!"

That much was true. After taking down the Hand of Destiny, Locke had morphed into a much more powerful version of itself. His dad couldn't figure out why, but applied it to Chase's friends' cores to be on the safe side. Now they had all hyper evolved. Bren and Jinja glanced at each other before nodding, grabbing their cores as they all took a step back.

"Locke!"

"Neo-Quickforce!"

"Charger!"

"Launch!"

All three cores hit the door in a flash of blue, monsuno appearing as they collided with the metal. Just as Chase had thought, their monsuno managed to take it down as soon as they appeared. The three teens ran out as the remains of the door clattered to the ground, quickly looking around for the mysterious teen.

"Arg! I think he's gone," Chase said frustratedly.

"Maybe we could catch up with him," Jinja suggested, "It didn't look like he had monsuno."

"I can look really fast," Bren said, then ran over to Neo-Quickforce, "Let's go buddy!"

The two took off into the sky as Chase and Jinja were left at the base. Chase looked around for some sort of sign of where the teen could've gone, but found none.

"Locke, see if you can find a trail or something. Come back if you do," he said, turning to his monsuno. It grunted in response, and left into the jungle. He looked over to tell Jinja to do the same, but saw her looking through the opened cases.

"It looks like he nabbed quite a few," she said. Chase walked over to see that almost half of the energy containers were missing. How'd such a small guy like him even carry that many?

"That can't be good," Chase said, "Who knows what he could do with that much monsuno energy."

It wasn't uncommon for someone to try and steal monsuno essence, especially when it came to Klipse and the Forge Resistance. Heck, even people from the underground like Grandma Future was a big ringleader in the black market of monsuno essence (that is until they put a stop to that).

But what really bothered him was that this person had somehow survived the ruins being destroyed. Even Chase and his friends had barely made it out. Did that mean that other members of the Hand of Destiny were alive?

Chase shook his head at that thought. Droog had been stopped months ago, with his ship now at the bottom of the ocean with Petros and the other two. There was no way they had survived that.

The ground started shaking a little, and Chase could see Locke coming back from the jungle.

"Well? What'd you find big guy?" he asked. Locke bowed his head and placed something on the ground. The raven-haired teen picked it up, seeing that it was an empty energy container.

Jinja walked over, glancing over his shoulder to see, "What is it?"

"Empty. That's what," Chase responded, then tossed it into one of the cases. At least we can report back to Commandant Marshall Ace to tell him what we saw."

The two of them waited for a minute before Bren showed back up.

"So? Did you see anything?" Jinja asked as the teen walked over to them. He shook his head.

"Nothing. Nada. Zilch," he said, then called Neo-Quickforce back, "It's like he just up and vanished."

Chase frowned. This was bad. The only way someone could disappear that quickly would be to use the Quickening Way, something that the Hand of Destiny used. Were they really back?

"We got to find them," Chase said, then pulled out Evo's core. He was about to spin out before Jinja grabbed his arm.

"Hold on," she said, "We need to get the rest of the monsuno energy back to S.T.O.R.M. The last thing we need is to leave it here unguarded."

Chase frowned at her, "Of course we're not going to leave it here. You guys can take it back. I want to keep looking."

He tried to pull his arm away, but the red-haired girl was persistent.

"Chase," she said sternly, "Don't start this again. We all know the Hand was defeated- We all saw it! If he's gone, then what's the chance of us catching up with him?"

He stared at her, though she stared back with a fierce look that made him drop his gaze. She could be intimidating when she wanted to.

"Probably not that good," he said, then dropped his hand, "But I'm not letting this go. As soon as we get back, we have to report this to Commandant Marshall Ace so he could start searching."

"With S.T.O.R.M. we can probably find him quicker anyway," Bren said, joining in. They gathered the remaining energy containers quickly and started to pile them inside the cloud hopper. When they stopped for a moment to count them, Chase couldn't help but think back to the incident in the Cave of Coalescence with the ruins collapsing.

Had it really been that long ago? He never thought about it for a while, and it was a bit surreal remembering everything that had happened with the original monsuno and the four from the Hand of Destiny. Almost like a faraway dream now that his life was becoming normal.

... Would he even want to try and find out what they're up to? Especially if it meant dealing with those who had tried to separate his family for so long?...

He shook his head. That was the reason he _had_ to look for them. Who was to say that they wouldn't come after him or his mom. And if they were involved with the Hand, then it must have something to do with monsuno energy or sight (which just put even more people in danger).

"That thing on his hand was pretty freaky though," Bren said suddenly as they finished putting the last crates of energy into the cloud hopper.

Chase and Jinja both gave him a look.

"What thing?" Jinja asked.

"That symbol on his palm," Bren said, making a gesture to his own hand, "It kinda looked like a scar or something, but started lighting up when he got the energy."

"I think you were just seeing things again," Jinja said as they climbed inside and started up the engines. Chase sat still for a moment as he thought.

"... Chase?" Jinja asked.

"Can you drive for a sec, Jin?" Chase said, already taking a seat in the back across from Bren. She let out a sigh, but took the controls anyway. As soon as they were air born, Chase turned to Bren.

"What did it look like?" he asked, "Do you remember?"

"It... Kinda just looked like a weird scar to me," Bren shrugged, "Although that could've been because of the angle."

Chase bit his lip. This wasn't good. Someone from the Hand of Destiny suddenly showing up looking for monsuno energy. Them having glowing abilities of some sort. They would have to tell Commandant Marshall Ace as soon as possible.

"... Chase?" Bren asked. The raven-haired teen shook his head and looked over.

"Yeah?"

"Well. I was just wondering if Babeon was okay," Bren asked, "I mean. You do remember what that guy is capable of right?"

Chase blinked, then nodded. After the fight in the cave a few months ago, Bren had talked about the two that had attacked him and Beyal. It was a bit unnerving to know that there was another monsuno-human hybrid out there that was much more in control then Jon Ace was. But then there was also a boy who had the ability to absorb monsuno energy. The same one that had shown up just a few moments ago.

Taking out Babeon's core, Chase looked down to see if anything was wrong. Luckily, there wasn't, and that guy's ability did explain why it had suddenly collapsed when it did. Still, this was daunting to find out.

Chase glanced out the window, watching as the clouds started to fly by as they made their way back to the cloud carrier. At least they could find out what these people were up to sooner now that S.T.O.R.M. was on their side.

HLP

"Aww yeah! We're totally owning!" Dax cheered as Airswitch blasted both of the red monsuno with one shot. Even though monsuno fights were easier ever since they had an upgrade, there was something exhilarating about battling all out against someone instead of just a friendly duel like at S.T.O.R.M..

"Oi monkfish. Take the last blow so we can hurry up and get donuts," Dax said, hardly paying attention now that they had the other two cornered. Beyal nodded, and turned to the fight.

"Glowblade, Streaking- Ah!"

Dax quickly turned back to see Beyal drop his core and fall to his knees. The smaller teen writhed and clenched at his head as he let out a pained yell.

"Beyal!" Dax exclaimed, running over to the other. He hovered over the other teen as he continued to cringe and cry out on the ground. The lowlander wasn't sure what to do, split between the fight still going on or helping out the monk.

"Now's our chance!" Hargrave shouted as the monsuno hesitated, then held out a core. Dom Pyro (reluctantly) held out his as well, and their monsuno were called back. They fled immediately.

Dax would've had the nerve to chase after them. But seeing that they were already supposed to be back at S.T.O.R.M. almost a half hour ago, he didn't feel like following after them. Instead, he focused on Beyal, who had now calmed down and was muttering something under his breath. After looking to see if anyone else was around or if the butler had hired someone else for a sneak attack, Dax knelt down and propped the monk up. He had gone into a fit like this before, only moments after Jon Ace had tried to disarm the monsuno energy that caused him to form into a monsuno-human hybrid.

"What? What happened?" Dax asked. Beyal had a dazed look as he glanced up at the night sky, hardly focusing on anything.

"An evil is rising again," he muttered faintly, "Monsuno are in danger. If they are not stopped, then more than just the world will be ripped apart."

Dax raised a brow, "What do you mean? What're you talking about-"

His cell phone went off, making him jump a little. Dax pulled it out with a quick look. It was S.T.O.R.M.. He cast one last glanced to the monk before answering.

"Hello?"

" _Dax,"_ It was Commander Trey, _"Where are you? You're not back at headquarters. Did you encounter trouble?"_

 _"_ Oh. No trouble at all," Dax said, helping Beyal to his feet, "Just went to the store after the shift is all. We'll be back in a few."

He didn't leave the commander time to say anything and ended the call. He didn't really feel like explaining that Klipse's lackeys showed up, nor did he want to explain how they hadn't apprehended them. Beyal gave him a confused look, but didn't comment (especially considering how he looked like he'd pass out again at any moment).

The two of them piled into the van and took off back to the museum where they parked the cloud hopper. During the short ride, Dax had the urge to ask the white-haired teen what he meant by his vision. Dax let out a sigh, then looked over to the other. Beyal had gone back to looking at his core in his hand, but this time, there was disturbed look in his eyes. He never got any visions that we're this violent in months. Why would he get one now?

Maybe things were about to pick up once again.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, TactitianLyra, and mysticblade7 for the reviews!

ChasexJinjaForever: glad you look forward to the story so much.

TacticianLyra: Yes! I didn't forget to write this! Get hyped.

mysticblade7: Don't worry, updates will probably be bi-weekly (my beta really wants to get this done now while she has the time).

Enjoy!

* * *

 _The caverns were silent and still. Not a sign of life to be seen. The only hint of any motion being the water of the lake that was peacefully lapping at the shore. Moonlight shone through the now broken ceiling, casting soft beams across the shadows in a bleak attempt to lighten the area._

 _A figure stood by, watching absently at the calm. There were ruins below the surface that once held ceremonies by the Five Tribes to help seal away monsuno essence. Not too long ago, they were seen once again by living eyes. If one had bothered to find out about the purpose of the ruins, they would find out about the true purpose of monsuno._

 _Except the ruins had come and gone._

 _And the four of them had failed._

 _"_ _... Shit."_

 _The figure started to walk along the edges of the lake, careful as to not get too close. They stopped when something could be seen lying in the water's shallows a few feet away. Silently, they made their way over._

 _It was a figure clad in black, though it was hard to tell if they were breathing. With a sigh, the person pulled them out of the water with one hand, dropping them unceremoniously on the ground. Crouching down, they could see it was a black-haired boy._

 _"_ _I wasn't expecting you to get out of there alive, Exi. Though I guess even you can do better then expected," the taller said a bit surprised. They reached into their pocket, and pulled out a small container of glowing green liquid. Carefully, they removed one of the smaller's gloves. Undoing the top of the container, they deposited it onto the boy's palm, which held a rather unusual marking, and watched as it quickly absorbed into his skin._

 _Only after a few seconds did he gasp for air, body jerking up as he coughed heavily._ _The other just watched silently as the other gave out rasped breaths. After a moment, he looked over and glared._

 _"_ _Wh-what are... You doing here... Ehna?" he panted out, quickly looking around, "What's going on?"_

 _"_ _Just cleaning up a few loose ends," the taller said, standing up, "Though I was surprised that even you had managed to fail."_

 _The other glared up spitefully._

 _"_ _Sh-shut up," he coughed, "I would've handled it if I got a hold of the original monsuno that was in the monk. Agh!" He punched down at the ground, "It was so powerful! I only felt a fraction of the energy it held, but even that was amazing. I could've been set for life if I could just-"_

 _Without warning, Exi doubled over, going into a coughing fit and nearly choking. It took him a few minutes to calm down before he spoke again._

 _"_ _I guess... I used a little too much energy..." he panted out, "so... where are the other two Ehna? Tesserah was with you when we parted-"_

 _"_ _She's gone," the other said monotonously. He turned away from the teen on the ground, who stared up in disbelief. When nothing was said, Ehna turned back to see Exi trembling a bit._

 _"_ _... No," he shook his head in disbelief, "There's no way she could've-"_

 _"_ _She was. By that scientist Klipse. Now she's nothing but monsuno energy," Ehna continued, "At least that failure can be useful in some other way."_

 _Exi got to his feet, now glowering at the other, "You're lying. There's no way she would fail. We were the ones kept alive after all."_

 _"_ _Except even we were deemed useless by the Hand after this mission's failure," the other said, "If you don't believe me, you can tag along. I'm heading over to the hideout now. Not that they'll be there."_

 _Exi was silent, staring down at the ground. He frowned, then glared up at the other, "So what? Your not even going to look for her? Or go after the one who killed her?"_

 _"_ _She was a failed experiment. And that means she is like all the others: meant to be forgotten. And what's the point of looking for her if she's already dead, body completely destroyed."_

 _"_ _B-but-"_

 _Suddenly, the taller was right in front of Exi, who let out a startled gasp as the other quickly grasped onto his neck, holding him up with ease._

 _"_ _I told you to drop it," the other hissed, "Otherwise I'll make you. You don't want to become like those failed experiences as well do you? Or maybe you'd make a nice snack for whatever scavengers are around, eh?_ Rotting away in this cave to be forgotten. _"_

 _Exi shook his head quickly, "No no no! I-I" He stopped struggling for a moment as a smirk grew on his face, "Step back before I blow you away. You do remember how I was the most powerful one out of us."_

 _The other stopped for a moment before bursting out with laughter, confusing the boy still dangling from his grasp._

 _"_ _Don't call a bluff you can't hold up," the larger chuckled, "Don't you realize how long you were down there? Probably not, seeing that you used all you energy just to get back up to the surface."_

 _He was dropped to the ground without warning, glowering up at the other, "What? Five hours...? It couldn't have been that long-"_

 _"_ _Try five weeks."_

 _The smaller stared up in disbelief for a moment before going silent. He stared down at the ground, eyes wide._

 _"_ _... Your lying," he said faintly, "There's no way the Hand wouldn't look for us for five weeks!"_

 _The other leaned down, holding out something for him to take. Hesitantly, Exi held out his hand, and felt something small placed on his palm. He was a bit surprised to see that it was a small glass case of monsuno essence, shining green._

 _"_ _Why would you give me this? Aren't you afraid I'll just smash your head in as soon as you turn your back?" Exi asked, eyes still on the small case._

 _"_ _I need you to be somewhat useful as we go to find the rest of the Hand. Otherwise, I would've disposed of you the second you rose from that lake."_

 _"_ _Oh, so you need me for something," the black haired boy said, raising a brow. He took the small container into his gloved hand, fiddling with top of the small container for a brief moment before he got annoyed and decided to just break it in half. Some of the green energy spilt out onto the ground in between glass bits. The teen ignored it, and instead poured it onto his open palm that Ehna had poured energy on earlier._

 _He let out a gasp of surprise before it soaked into his skin. It lit up for a brief moment before disappearing. He chuckled a little before scooping up the remains that had spilt out onto the ground for good measure._

 _He stood and stretched out, jumping a bit as well from the new found energy._

 _"_ _Alright... So what's your plan?" Exi asked the other. The two of them watched the lake for a moment, a silence stretching between them._

 _"_ _... We need to go back to the Hand, if only briefly," Ehna said, then started to walk away, "I would think that Triah is also going that way, though I can't be sure."_

 _"_ _Wait. He made it out to?" Exi asked, "I didn't think he'd survive after battling that monsuno."_

 _The other chuckled, "I thought the same for you. And yet here you are."_

 _..._

 _The two stood at the entrance of the ruins where the Hand of Destiny once roamed. Except the ruins looked like they had gone through a giant earthquake, with more then half of them crumbled to dust. The Hand had once mentioned how they had the power to cause such monstrosities, but it was never imagined that they would resort to such a thing._

 _"_ _... Do you... Do you think they're still here?" Exi asked, bringing the hood of his cloak further down his face. Ehna didn't respond, and instead started to walk forward towards the remains._

 _They had walked for some time before reaching the entrance to the caverns that lead down to the Hand's true hideout. The stone slab that had once covered the doorways was now shattered into pieces. The two walked over it, sneaking through the caverns in case someone still lurked about._

 _It took a lot longer to get down to the main room of the base since most of the halls had been destroyed or caved in. When they reached the Well of Insight, the two gasped. The well had gone completely dry. Neither of them could sense any monsuno essence, nor anybody's presence._

 _Exi immediately ran over to the holding cells to see if anyone was still inside. He cursed, banging on the bars angrily._

 _"_ _Everyone's gone," he said, sinking to his knees, "... Everyone... Gone..."_

 _Ehna saw a glimmer of something to the side, and picked it up. It was a metal case of some sort, and he immediately recognized the logo on the front._

 _"_ _S.T.O.R.M. was here. No doubt from after Suno had come along," he said, throwing the object down disdainfully, "I'm pretty sure they took anything that had to do with monsuno. Or whatever wasn't completely destroyed from the look of things."_

 _Exi paled at the revelation, "Do you think they got our files as well? Are we going to be hunted as well?"_

 _Ehna put his thumb to his lip in thought, "I don't think so. S.T.O.R.M. would stayed here if they knew about us, seeing that this is one of the few places that we can go to. If anything, our records were destroyed the second that the Hand thought we were dead."_

 _He walked over towards the well, and made a face at the large hole that was in its place. Long ago, monsuno essence used to be pouring out of it. But then the source had gone dry, and there was no way of replenishing the Hand's energy without Keepers._

 _Without another word, Ehna dropped down inside. He slid down the side, careful as to not cause too much noise. He reached the bottom relatively quickly, despite its depth. There was a pause before Exi dropped down as well. He stumbled a bit with his landing, and looked a bit weary._

 _Ehna sighed, and walked up to the wall. The insignia of the Hand lit up as soon as he placed a hand on it, and the wall vanished._

 _Unknown to all outside of the Hand of Destiny, there was a cavern below the well that led to a place that stored all the secrets of the organization. But even amongst the Hand, only Christoph and Petros knew of this place, and for good reasons. The type of technology that they had created was much too powerful for the likes of S.T.O.R.M. of Core Tech. The two silently walked down the tunnel, well aware of the pitch black darkness that enveloped them._

 _"_ _... Make a light. Unless you're feeling too weak," Ehna said. Exi gave him a look (that went unnoticed), and held up his palm. A small orb of green light illuminated the small space._

 _"_ _If you needed a light, you should've brought a touch," he sighed. They continued to walk until they reached a staircase. The two walked up slowly, as some of the steps crumbled at the slightest touch. Once they reached the top, Exi grabbed one of the unlit torches that was on the wall, producing a green flame and lighting it._

 _Even though the rest of the hideout was large and open, this place was small and low. While it was wide enough to hold many people, the ceiling was low, only being kept up by the many pillars around. Ehna walked over towards the middle where some remnants of the inhabitants remained. There were old cases and files thrown all about, as if someone was looking for something in a hurry. Some of the papers were even singed._

 _"_ _I guess they did destroy them," Exi said, picking up some of the files and tossing them back down after a quick glance. Ehna looked around, picking up one of the empty prototypes of the shapeshifter cores. He hadn't been in this room for years, and yet it was all so easy to remember._

 _"_ _So... What's the plan?" Exi asked, leaning against the wall casually as he put the torch back in its place, "Besides the whole revenge thing. How're we gonna do that?"_

 _"_ _We'll have to infiltrate S.T.O.R.M. to get more monsuno essence, though that shouldn't be too hard," Ehan said, putting a thumb to his chin in thought, "We can go to the nearest base and work from there. Chances are, Suno and the rest of them are stationed in one of the air ships."_

 _"_ _Will that take long?" Exi asked, hands starting to jitter a bit. Ehna watched as the other looked around anxiously._

 _One of the flaws of the Hand of Destiny's experiments was that there were always side effects, which made all of them useless in one way or another. Tesserah could always hear what Sophia and Chase were saying, nearly going mad from it. Triah was the most unfortunate of the four, and would always appear as a half monsuno half human hybrid._

 _The other two, however, varied a little differently. Along with gaining the appearance of a person, Ehna could gain little bits of information and memories if he tried (though he rarely wanted to). The first time he tested his powers out was on one of the Keepers. The effect of the memory drain was... Unnerving to say the least. And disastrous for the Keeper's own mind. He didn't dare attempt it, even when going after Suno's group._

 _Exi, on the other hand, was more self-destructive. He didn't just take monsuno energy because he could, he needed to. Like a drug, he was addicted to it. Maybe it was because of the Hand's own influence during his experimentation, but whatever they did was a lot worse, considering how unstable he got without having contact with monsuno energy for long periods of time. Ehna was surprised he lasted so long in the lake without even getting near a monsuno. Maybe it was because of the Original monsuno's energy or the seal being so close. Either way, he would prove useful in the future with his ability._

 _Just as long as they got a hold of monsuno essence._

 _"_ _No. It won't take long," Ehna responded, "We could even go to one of the less known bases just to get a small amount if you need it."_

 _Exi's hands twitched nervously at the comment, and he gave a shaky nod._

 _There was a sound coming from the stairwell, and the two immediately looked over. The entry had closed behind them, so only someone from the Hand could open it. They waited patiently until a pale man in a suit appeared in the stairwell opening._

 _"Who are you?" Exi asked, taking a step away from the wall. The man raised a brow at the two of them, as if unfazed that they were here._

 _"When Petros mentioned this place to me, I did not think others knew about it," he said, then glanced around the chamber._

 _"They don't," Ehna said, "At least not anymore. And how do you know Petros? Who are you?"_

 _The man raised his hands a little, "Calm down. I am not here to harm you. Quite the opposite. My name is Digby Droog. And if you two are here, that means you were once part of the Hand. I wish to employ you for my efforts."_

 _The two exchanged looks._

 _"_ _Not interested," Exi said, then went back over to his spot on the wall._

 _"_ _Just listen for a second," the man Droog said, "I am not from this world. My home planet was destroyed years ago by monsuno essence. I plan to rid this world of it, and have gained help from previous members of the Hand. I had saved them when they were on the edge of death, thanks to Chase Suno."_

 _That got the two's attention._

 _"_ _If you want," he continued, "I'll take you to the remaining members of the Hand of Destiny before you make your decision. I could understand your hesitance."_

 _The older of the two thought for a moment. The Hand of Destiny was obviously disbanded in some way. Whether they were alive or not wasn't what mattered though. What matter was whether they ought to go back. There was also something about this Droog guy that was... off. He didn't like it._

 _"_ _...No," Ehna said, then glared at the man, "I don't doubt you. But I also don't trust you. Leave, now."_

 _Droog glanced at both of them before letting out a sigh, "Fine. But if you ever change your mind, just ask for me. I'll hear you wherever you are."_

 _He walked over towards the middle of the room, and set something down on the ground just a few feet away from Ehna._

 _"_ _Again. If you change you're mind. Just use this."_

 _He turned around, but stopped when he took one step down the stairs._

 _"_ _And by the way," he said, then glanced backwards, "You won't find anything of use here. Those three told me themselves."_

 _With that, he left without another word. It was silent for a second before Exi let out a sigh. Ehna, on the other hand, continued to stare at the spot the man was standing before, and then down at the object that he put down. He walked back over to where the files were tossed, picking up a few papers as he did. He paused after a moment, staring down at some of the more completed ones._

 _"_ _... What is it?" Exi asked._

 _"_ _... New plan," Ehna said, still looking over the files, "We're going to get monsuno energy, but not from S.T.O.R.M.. At least, not at the moment. We need to build our strength again. If the Hand really has fallen, then we must wait for the right moment to strike."_

 _Exi nodded, then looked to the ground, "Do you think it will take long? And what about useless? Should we look for him?"_

 _"_ _Triah knows where this place is. And I doubt he would go anywhere else looking the way he does," Ehna said, "If anything, we'll stay here until he shows up. And who knows. Maybe we'll find something useful here yet. Especially if it means getting revenge on Chase Suno."_

HLP

When the three of them got back to the S.T.O.R.M. cloud carrier, Jinja couldn't help but feel uneasy. Chase hadn't said a word since they had left the old base. And while she always enjoyed silence, there was something disturbing about the way he spaced off throughout the whole flight. She wanted to say something, but she figured it would be better if they had gotten back to S.T.O.R.M. as quickly as possible.

The small group walked right up to the report room where Commandant Marshall Ace was waiting for them. They came back a bit late, so it was a bit surprising to see other groups still debriefing from their missions.

"-I don't think that will be necessary," Jon Ace said to one of the soldiers. He noticed the three enter the room, and dismissed the others, "So how did the mission go today?"

The teens exchanged worried looks. Bren was the first one to say something.

"Well... It could've gone better...?" he shrugged.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Jon asked. Bren shuffled nervously for a moment before turning to Chase.

"Do you want to tell him?" He asked sheepishly. The raven-haired teen let out a sigh, then took a step forward.

"We... ran into someone at the base," Chase said. The commandant raised a brow.

"That base is supposed to be abandoned..." the commandant said, trailing off for a moment before turning back to them, "Who were they? Did they take anything of importance?"

"Yeah. They took a few of the monsuno energy containers," Chase explained, "though it wasn't too many of them."

There was a brief look of panic in the Commandant's eyes, but it was quickly lost as he kept himself composed.

"Maybe. But I'm afraid it's not that simple," Jon said, "those containers hold monsuno energy that is much more powerful then regular essence. There's a reason that it was kept in a secret location for so long."

"If that's true. Then why move it?" Jinja asked.

"That is a question for Jeredy," Jon replied, then turned back around to the screen, "Go fill out a report of who this person was and looked like. I'll send out a dispatch to search for them immediately. Go tell Commander Trey what they looked like so he could start the search. And tell your father to come down here, Chase. I'll have to have a word with him as well."

Chase nodded, and left, Jinja and Bren trailing behind him. Instead of heading for Commander Trey's office, however, Chase turned and went straight for where he was staying with his parents. Jinja and Bren stopped, exchanging surprised looks.

"Chase. Uh... Commander Trey's that way," Bren said.

"I know B. But we can't go to him," Chase said, stopping to turn around, "Well... Not yet anyway-"

"Why's that?" Jinja asked. Even though Chase tended to be on the lazy side when it came to their missions, he was at least honest about it. But this time, there was some hesitance to his response.

"Well... I just want to ask my dad what was special about that monsuno essence," he said, shifting a little, "If that kid stole it from that secret base, there has to be a reason as to why he would go for that instead of just a regular one. Right?"

Jinja hummed in thought. There was a bit of logic in his thinking, though that may have also been him trying to find an excuse.

"I suppose you got me there," she said.

"See? Sound thinking," Chase shrugged, "We can go ask my dad and tell him that Commandant Marshall Ace wants to talk, maybe get dinner while we're there, and then tell Commander Trey."

He took a few steps forward down the hall, though Jinja and Bren still hesitated to follow. Chase immediately noticed and turned back to them.

"… What?"

Jinja gave a sideways glance to Bren, and could tell he was thinking the same thing. While that would've usually been a bad thing (considering this was Bren of all people), but that was the least of her worries. Bren let his gaze fall a little before he said something.

"… Are you sure that this isn't going to become a big thing again?" he asked. Chase raised a brow.

"A big thing?"

"You know, like before," Jinja said with a sigh, "Are you going to hunt them down until you find them again?"

There was a surprised look in Chase's eyes, as if he wasn't expecting that. Even though she hated to admit it, she and Bren were able to agree many times in the past when something was wrong with him. It came with being close friends for so long. And the two of them could both agree that there was something wrong with the way that Chase fixated on the Hand after learning about his mother.

But that was all in the past. And the Hand was gone. Whoever these other people were, were probably not as important. If anything, S.T.O.R.M. should be able to take them out on their own-

"Chase!"

Before any of them could say something, they all turned to see Dax and Beyal running over to them.

"Hey! Great timing," Chase said, trying not to look too worried about what Jinja and Bren said, "We're about to go to dinner soon. Go report in and we can go to my place."

"I think we have a lot more problems then just hunger at the moment," Dax said, straightening up a little. Beyal gave Chase a weary glance, looking him straight in the eye. As soon as he did, Chase's enthusiasm quickly faded and was replaced by panic.

"... No," he said faintly.

"What? What's wrong?" Jinja asked, looking between them. Beyal let his gaze drop, shuffling where he stood.

"I... Had a vision," he muttered, "the world will be in danger once again... And monsuno will lash out and be the cause of the destruction."

There was a stunned silence as the other three silently gasped at the revelation.

"You mean like what Chase's dad said before in that simulation thing?" Bren asked, then suddenly had a horrified look, "Does that mean the world is going to rip itself apart?!"

"Woah. Calm down there, Glasses. I'm pretty sure if the world was going to blow up, we'd be the first to know," Dax said. Jinja frowned at them, and turned to Beyal.

"So what exactly did you see?" she asked softly. He had a distressed look in his eyes, though he tried not to show it. Jinja couldn't help but think that strange. They've all know each other for over a year now and yet there were still things about him that were still a mystery to her.

"I... Saw monsuno... attacking people," he said faintly, "And... there were a group of people clad in black that were the cause of it. At first they didn't seem familiar... But then I could see some of their faces."

That snapped Chase out of his daze, and he moved next to Jinja in front of the monk.

"What did they look like? Was there a guy with brown hair?" He asked. Jinja raised a brow. What guy with brown hair? The boy they saw earlier that day had black hair.

"Yes. Actually," Beyal said, "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Chase said, then put a hand to his chin in thought.

"Was there anything else you saw?" Bren asked curiously. Beyal hesitated again, and took a breath.

"I'm afraid it's not just monsuno that those people want," he said, then turned to Chase, "I also saw your parents. They might be after them."

* * *

A/N: If anyone is confused, that first part takes place between the second and third seasons.

Review Review Review!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, TacticianLyra, mysticblade7, and monsuno power for the reviews.

ChaseXJinjaForever: always glad you look forward to this

TacticianLyra: I know! I'm trying not to have so many cliffhangers this time around.

mysticblade7: Yes! Their names are basically their experimental numbers from the Hand. Random fact, I originally wanted to use Japanese numbers or spanish, but they were too obvious.

monsuno power: There are one shots coming, my beta just has to get around to it. (So like another week maybe)

Enjoy!

* * *

The hall was quiet in the docking area at the bottom of the S.T.O.R.M. cloud carrier, besides the occasional soldier that would walk by, lazily guarding the area. The latest one let out a yawn, glancing out one of the windows, then continued on. If anyone stood there long enough, they would hear a faint buzzing noise that was similar to that of a saw. Within seconds, a small beam of light shot through the wall separating the hall and the inner workings of wires and electric work. Slowly, the light made its way around until it became a hole big enough for someone small to barely climb through.

As soon as the metal popped out into the hall, a small figure crawled inside, a dark hood shielding their face. He stood up, looking around for any sign of soldiers.

"Coast is clear," he said quietly.

"Then get over here and help me in!"

He turned back to see someone slightly bigger then him trying to crawl through the hole as well.

"Just turn into someone smaller. It can't be that hard," the other said. The one struggling shot him a look, and somehow managed to squeeze through. Once he was in, they walked over to the control deck to the hanger doors. Within seconds, one of the smaller doors slid open enough for the larger of the three to get inside.

"Alright. Now that we're all here," the middle one said as the door closed again, "Let's go pay a certain Suno a visit!"

The three swiftly went through the halls, careful as to not catch the attention of the security cameras or the guards. It wasn't long before they got into one of the main halls.

"Which way now?" The younger of them asked. The middle one glanced around, silently taking everything in.

"... You can feel it can't you?" he said, then pointed over towards the hall straight ahead, "I can tell Suno is that way. But..."

"But?"

"... I think it'd be in our best interest to take a little detour before hand."

The other two exchanged looks, but complied anyway. The three of them snuck their way down the other hall away from Suno, careful as to avoid the soldiers that would walk by every few minutes.

"… Where are we even going, Ehna?" the younger asked the one leading, "There can't be anything that important down-"

"Hush. We're almost there," the larger hissed. The smaller let out a huff, but didn't say anything afterwards. It was a little dangerous to be talking out loud when they were in the center of a S.T.O.R.M. ship like this. But the silence was tense, and set him on edge.

The sound of a door opening at the end of the hall was heard, and their leader signaled them to stop. They all waited for a moment as voices echoed throughout. Soldiers were coming.

The three quickly backtracked a hall, but more doors opened. What was going on? There wasn't an alarm or announcement. Their leader let out a small curse, and swiftly went through another corridor. The other two followed without hesitation. They didn't even know where they were heading after a few minutes, seeing that they were now just trying to avoid being caught.

It was only after a few more twists and turns did they stop to catch their breath, hidden in one of the closed off halls.

"I think we're good for now," the smaller sighed, then slumped against the wall as the door slid shut.

"...Not quite," the larger stated, "We're not alone here either."

There was a shuffle, and they all looked over to see cells lining the wall. After a moment, someone peeked through one of the windows.

"W-Who are you?" he asked in a low voice. The smaller raised a brow at the man, as did the larger. But the one in the middle started to chuckle, and walked over to the bars.

"Just who I was looking for," he said, under his breath before facing the man.

"Why hello there Klipse."

HLP

That did it. Chase didn't think that his worse fears would be confirmed so soon. This unknown boy's appearance was enough to cause some panic. But now Beyal had seen something as well? Still, he took a breath to stay calm.

"... Was that all you saw?" he asked the monk, "Any details or specifics? Like where they're at right now?"

"I'm afraid not," Beyal said reluctantly. Chase couldn't help but curse at that. Monsuno sight was weird like that, giving visions sporadically without any real pattern. Beyal had a better sense with it, but without any way of managing these visions, they might as well be shooting in the dark.

"Seriously Chase? I doubt they'd be that stupid to take action now that we know they're out there," Jinja said, crossing her arms, "Let's just go to Trey so he can issue out a search quicker."

"Gotta agree with the Princess on this one," Dax agreed, "If anything, they'd be out there planning instead of doing. I think we ought to do the same."

Chase looked between them, then back to Bren and Beyal. They all had a similar worried look in their eyes. There was only a few instances where he could remember them all fighting against him like this, most of which surrounded the Hand of Destiny. That, however, was for a good reason. They took his mother, tried to kill them multiple times, and even attacked his father and Jon Ace. Even at the moment, all Chase wanted to do was run back to the flat and never leave his parents' sides.

And yet, everyone was speaking the truth. If the Hand really wanted to get a hold of any of them, they'd use the Quickening Way, or even attack them when they were out in the open. Not with hundreds of guards all around them, or their monsuno at their sides.

He let out a sigh of defeat.

"Alright," he said, "But first thing in the morning we're going out to find them."

They all nodded, then went ahead to Trey's office. The whole walk made Chase's stomach turn. Ever since they had landed, he had an unsettling feeling that was eating away at him. It was probably just seeing that kid that brought up these feelings, almost like a reminder of everything that had happened with the Hand of Destiny.

All this thinking just put him more on edge was he quickened his pace and briskly started to pace over to the office. Chase didn't even bother to knock when entering the office.

"Commander Trey! We have something to report," he said. The commander jumped a little out of surprise, but the group soon realized it wasn't from them.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! What're you people doing here?! Did you mess up on a mission?! Did you beat up monsuno today?! Why do you look so grumpy?!" Piped up a voice as a blur ran around them.

"S-Sebastian?" Chase said surprised, then quickly turned to the Commander. Trey could only shrug. It was know to the team that he had a nephew that was more then a little wild. What he was doing back here was beyond them, however.

"Oi, Commander. What's this little booger doing here?" Dax pointed as the little brown haired boy stopped for a moment to catch his breath (though he frowned deeply at the comment).

"You all know I have to babysit sometimes," Trey sighed, "But that's probably not the reason your here. What do you want?"

Chase cast a weary glance at the boy that started to bounce around again before turning to the man, "We got some bad news. Someone stole some monsuno essence earlier today at the base we were stationed at."

Trey had a surprised look on his face, "What?! And you didn't even try to stop them?"

"I didn't say that," Chase frowned, "But we did see who it was. Commandant Marshall Ace said to fill out a form so that you guys can start looking for him asap."

Trey nodded, then handed over a small packet of paper. Chase was a little confused about some of the questions that it asked for when describing someone, but tried his best. It was hard to remember things when a monsuno battle was happening at the same time, and he had to admit he was hardly paying attention to the boy's appearance when running after him. Still, he would rather be filling out the paperwork then dealing with Trey's nephew like the rest of them were at the moment (and from the looks on everyone else's face, that was a good decision).

"Here," he said with a sigh, "Can you start the search now?"

Trey raised a brow, but took the packet anyway, "Probably not. Most of the troops were sent out to capture Dr. Tallis, who was spotted near Axistown. He's priority at the moment."

"B-But commander-"

"Oh look at the time Chase!" Jinja said, hooking her arm in his, "We better get going!"

"Y-Yeah! It's dinner time after all!" Bren agreed, taking his other arm and dragging him away. They all quickly piled out into the hallway and shut the door as fast as they could.

"Oh thank god," Dax sighed, "Another few minutes with that little nightmare and I would've gone mad."

Chase pulled himself out of the other two's grasp, turning on his heel to face them, "Why'd you guys interrupt me? You know that we should be trying to stop the Hand right now."

"But you heard Trey. They're trying to catch Tallis right now. We can't help that," Jinja defended, "Or did you want to deal with that little brat in there? We'll gladly talk to Trey for you while you deal with him.

Chase shivered a bit at that thought.

"No. I guess your right," he sighed. Why'd Trey have to babysit now? Knowing Sebastian, he'll never let Trey have a quiet moment to get work done.

"Oh well, we can deal with it in the morning," Bren shrugged, then cheerfully led the way down the hall, "Time for dinner!"

There was a brief pause as Bren walked along, and Chase couldn't help but smile. He started to head in the other direction towards his parents' flat before being pulled along.

"Not so fast Baby Suno," Dax said, "It's a team dinner tonight."

"B-but i really ought to get back to mom and dad," Chase said, struggling a bit as Dax loosely slung an arm around his shoulders, "What if-"

"C'mon Chase," Jinja said with a smirk," It's beef noodle night in the cafeteria!"

Chase felt himself forget all worries for a brief moment, and allowed himself to be tugged along for a meal with his friends. They were all probably trying to calm him down, especially considering how hasty he tended to be when it came to his parents. And maybe he was being paranoid. There's no chance that the remains of the Hand would make another attack so soon. Especially now that they all knew they were alive.

HLP

Six had a lot of time to think while being held by S.T.O.R.M. He was put in a cell that was a little ways away from his father's, but maybe that was a good thing. After they had been brought in by Chase and his friends, things were much more quiet. And Six hated to admit it, but he rather enjoyed the way everything was at the moment. Sure he wouldn't mind getting some sort of revenge against Chase for putting them in here in the first place. But even then that was more out of the rage his father felt.

That was another reason that he liked being far from Klipse. There wasn't any complaining or talking that was directed at the teen now, and Six found peace in that. Although, he did miss his monsuno.

"I do hope that father isn't in too bad of a mood right now," he said to himself. When the cells got quiet, Klipse was usually scheming in some way.

The doors to the hall opened and closed quickly, and Six couldn't help but peek out his cell's window (there wasn't much else to do in the small room anyway). Three cloaked people stood at the entrance to the hall, and for some reason they seemed familiar...

"I think we're good for now," the smaller of the figures sighed.

"...Not quite," the larger stated, turning towards the cells, "We're not alone here either."

Six quickly hid out of sight and away from the window. There was something about those three that he didn't like. He let out a small gasp when he remembered where he got that feeling before. During that time that he had seen the woman in white in that cavern, and shortly afterwards saw what those cloaked people were capable of. Funny how easily he forgot things.

Or maybe that was just a fault he had being a clone.

There was shifting in one of the cells further down, and Six heard his father let out a sound, "W-Who are you?"

Six looked through the window, trying to stay hidden as he saw one of the three approach his father's cell, muttering something under their breath before speaking.

"Why hello there Klipse," they said, stopping a few feet away, "You were probably not expecting us to come along."

There was a pause from the man, "... I'll ask again, who are you? What is it that you want you little brats?"

The one in front of the cell laughed, then pulled down the hood that covered their face. Six raised a brow at seeing a teen- probably older then him - with brown hair and a green headband with a strange symbol on it.

"I may as well start with introductions," he said in a rather polite tone, "My name is Ehna, and I am from the Hand of Destiny."

He glanced quickly over to where Six was peeking from, but brought his attention back to the doctor just as fast.

"As for what we are doing here, it should be obvious," he said, crossing his arms, "We're after Suno."

There was a pause before chuckling started to erupt from Klipse's cell.

"Oh. I see. It's revenge you're after," he said, "And I imagine that you are here because you need my help?"

"Not necessarily," the teen said slyly, "If anything, you're the one who needs our help. I figured you'd like to escape S.T.O.R.M. and get back to your research, right?"

There was a pause on Klipse's side, and the brown haired teen went up to the cell's window. Klipse started to speak in a hushed tone that even Six couldn't hear. Whatever he said made the other smile rather darkly, and he stepped away.

"You have a deal," he said, then turned to the smaller of the three. They nodded and walked up to the key panel on the side of Klipse's door. There was a brief spark of green light, and the door opened up for the scientist.

"Much better," Klipse said with a sigh as he stretched out, "Too bad for Jon Ace. Looks like my stay has been shortened much more then he expected!"

Ehna rolled his eyes, "Yes. Yes. That's all good. Now. We should be on our way before anyone notices."

"Of course," Klipse said, then turned to Six's cell. He stared blankly for a moment, and Six was a bit nervous about why.

"We need to bring my son along. I wouldn't want to leave something as vauable as him here."

Six couldn't help but feel relief at the comment, as well as something else that could only be described as a warm feeling. It was strange. He had only felt this way a few times before when Klipse praised him, but also when he had seen that woman in white back in those caves-

 _"Sounds to me like you've 'ad a bit of a change of heart. Eh, Emmanuel?"_

They all looked over towards the voice that came further down the hall. Six remembered that voice from when they were first brought in. It was the former head of S.T.O.R.M. Charlemange. She was one of the few exceptions of people that Six found intimidating, and for good reason. She schemed just as much as his father in here.

Klipse growled a little at her comment, but instead turned to the brown haired teen, "Yes. We are taking my clone with us. When I said valuable, I meant in terms of research, of course."

"Of course," Ehna nodded, then signaled the smaller to do the same for Six's cell. Once the door swung open and Six stepped out, there was a brief moment where he locked eyes with the short one nearby, though he could barely see from under the hood they wore. There was something strange about the way they looked at him that was a bit unnerving. As if they were looking right into his soul.

The smaller let out a huff, and looked away, "Figures you'd be like him."

Six raised a brow at the comment, but didn't respond, and instead went to stand by his father. He felt a chill go down his spine as he realized the brown-haired teen was staring intently at him. The bald teen shifted uncomfortably under the gaze.

"... He's a clone," he finally said, then turned back to Klipse, "How did you manage this?"

"That is another story," Klipse dismissed. Footsteps could be heard approaching, and before any of them could react, the door flew open. Two soldiers came in, and quickly saw the group. Immediately, they raised their weapons.

"Freeze!" one of them said, "Whoever you are, you're under arest-"

In a flash, the smaller of the three had charged at the closest soldier and kicked their gun out of the way just as fast. Before any of them could react, he punched the guard right into the wall.

"Stop right there, punk!" the other guard said, unfazed. He quickly grabbed a hold of the smaller by the back of his cloak, and pulled him away. The figure let out a sound as their hood dropped, and the soldier hesitated for a moment out of shock. As if in response, the cloaked figure twisted around and delivered quick blows at the soldier till he dropped to the ground as well.

When he stood up, Six couldn't help but stare in surprise at the fact that it was a teen (or a boy) much younger then him who had done so much damage within the short amount of time, indents now on the metal walls.

"Exi," The brown-haired teen said, eyeing the other, "I would appreciate it if you didn't flaunt your abilities. We don't need witnesses, but we also don't need casualties."

The other brushed himself off, and replaced his hood over his face.

"Klipse is already out. They're bound to know someone was here," he shrugged, "Let's just hurry up before more show up.

Ehna growled a little at the boy, and turned back to Charlemange's cell. Six had almost forgotten about the woman. She was gazing out of the window a bit spitefully at the group, though that may have just been the way she looked at people.

"How about you ma'am?" Ehna said politely, "Surely you also want to have revenge on Suno?"

The two stared back at each other, and the air became tense. Six shuffled uncomfortably as the rest of them stood waiting for her response.

"... No thank you," Charlemange said, then retreated back to her cell, "As much as I want to 'ave revenge on Chase Suno, I also want my position of S.T.O.R.M. and monsuno back. I'll do zings my own way."

Six raised a brow, as did his father. The woman was certainly stubborn, but was she really going to pass up on the chance of getting out like it was nothing?

"Then perhaps you could give us a bit of information," the brown haired teen said, "We're looking for a certain scientist. One who isn't well known amongst the public, but was taken by S.T.O.R.M. for... less then legal research."

"Sounds like my type of research," Klipse commented.

"And I would like to know where he could be," the teen continued, "He wouldn't be in one of the regular prisons, either. He would be kept somewhere else. Perhaps in a maximum security base."

Charlemange was silent from within her cell. It was hard to tell if she was ignoring them, or if she was thinking.

"... I can tell that you know," The brown haired teen said lowly, "He's mostly known for his deals with a man named Petros. Does that name sound familiar?"

"… It depends on what you want with the doctor," Charlemange finally said, peering out of the window again, "If you wish to destroy him, maybe I can tell you. But knowing what he's capable of, I'm guessing that's not why you're looking for him."

She went away from the window again.

"... We could always force her to tell," the largest cloaked figure said, "Although that could cause trouble when S.T.O.R.M. shows up. We probably don't have much time now that they sent someone down this way."

"Actually," Klipse said, "What is this scientist's name? Maybe I could be of assistance."

The brown haired teen glanced at the man, as if to assess their next move. He made an annoyed sound before speaking.

"I suppose you can help out with that," he said, "But as for now, we must hurry. Is there anything else you need before you leave? Otherwise we'll be on our way as well."

"I need my cores," Klipse said, "They were... Confiscated when I was taken in. I'm sure they're around here somewhere."

One of the soldiers let out a groan, and the larger went over and kicked them. Ehna walked over towards that hallway, the smaller one following after him.

"... How about _we_ find them," the brown-haired teen said, looking at the soldier for a moment, "We'll bring them back to you once we're done here."

"Suit yourself then. Go to the lowlands when you need me," Klipse said, then turned to go the other way. He glanced at Six briefly before motioning him to follow. How they were going to get out of here didn't matter. As long as they were far away from those people, Six didn't care.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the wait. Beta is having a rough week right now. So have an extra long extra action chapter. Thanks to TacticianLyra, ChasexJinjaForever, and Darpsonic6 for the reviews!

TactiticianLyra and ChasexJinjaForever: Glad you guys like it! Hopefully I can keep up (mostly with updates, not just with the action).

Darpsonic6: Yeah. Six will be getting more in this story, if only because his character felt underwhelming after season 2.

Enjoy!

* * *

Throughout the whole dinner, and when they were in Trey's office for that matter, Beyal was rather silent. It went mostly unnoticed thanks to everyone being worried about Chase, but even he had to agree that was for a good reason. Especially after learning that the Hand was out there still. Despite that, Beyal couldn't focus on what was going on at the moment.

During the ride back from the museum that he and Dax were watching, he pondered on the meaning behind said vision. Usually, there were flashes of the future, obviously showing what was to come. But this one was more of a dream, faces and voices all blurring together. Just thinking about it made him dizzy. The harder he tried to remember, the more it slipped away...

"Hey, Beyal."

He looked up to see Jinja staring at him. Everyone else was busy talking or eating, but she had that worried look that was hardly used.

"You okay?" she asked in a bit of a hushed voice, as if to not draw too much attention.

"Oh. Um. Yes," he said, trying to smile. He quickly looked away as to not seem disturbed. While everyone else in the group could be oblivious (especially Bren), Jinja had that way of knowing when something was wrong. At least when it came to their group. It was a nice gesture of her to ask, but even he had his limits of being around the rest of them when he wanted some peace of mind. Just being in the cafeteria alone was bothering him too much as he tried to recall his vision in better detail.

He had to get away, if only for the moment.

"Actually," he said, then stood up, "I think I'm going to go meditate for a while."

He left without another word. He could tell that Jinja wanted to say something, but was soon distracted by the others who were trying to make Chase feel better. Their leader probably needed the attention more at the moment anyway.

Beyal silently trailed along through the halls, aware that he was heading for the upper part of the ship. After Chase and the rest of them moved here, Mrs. Suno had a garden installed on a part of the cloud carrier. Since monsuno problems lowered drastically thanks to Chase and them joining S.T.O.R.M., some of the space became unused, and she was more then happy to help figure out a use. (It also didn't hurt that Jon Ace had a soft spot for her and the Sunos)

The door to the area opened, and Beyal let out a sigh. It was more of a large, indoor garden considering how cold it got outside because of the altitude, but that didn't make it any less comfortable. On the contrary, the monk found the warmth soothing considering this was one of the few quiet areas in the ship.

He walked over towards the large, artificial pond that was installed recently, sitting besides a few rose bushes (he was sure that Mrs. Suno planted all types of flowers here, but these were the prettiest). Taking a steady breath, Beyal closed his eyes. He tried to keep his mind clear, but was having trouble as thoughts continued to cloud it.

What could they be after? Droog and the rest were defeated months ago, and there wasn't much activity since then besides Tallis. More importantly, what could this mean for all of them, not just Chase. Was it possible that the Hand was after something bigger, like when they were after the Original Monsuno?

After what felt like a few minutes, he let out a sigh of defeat. Why was it so hard to get a vision now? Earlier at the museum, that vision came out of nowhere, so there shouldn't be any problems. He opened his eyes, running a hand through his hair in frustration. Maybe he wasn't meant to see something.

He stared forward at the pond, watching as the reflection of the moon shone across it. He could always ask Chase to try and get a vision, especially since he was also getting in touch with his monsuno sight (which was certainly more powerful). The monk continued to watch as the image of the moon rippled and waved as the water moved. He felt his eyes getting heavy for some reason. Why was he so tired all of a sudden...

…

...

...

 _Faint shouting. There was someone or something howling in the distance._

 _Destruction. The whole place was up in flames, wherever he was. A city? A base? It was hard to tell with everything already in ruin. Faceless people slowly running away from something in the distance. A shadow flew overhead. He looked up to see smoke clouding the sky, but even more terrifying were the creatures that were now scattered across it. No. Not creatures. Monsuno._

 _They let out screeches and beams that continued to shower down on the buildings and people. The closer ones started to swoop down at the crowds that were fleeing._

 _"_ _No! Stop!"_

 _The monsuno, almost beyond recognition, snarled and, without any hesitation, continued to attack. Blasts hit, and buildings were engulfed in explosions._ _Laughter filled the air. Hs eyes snapped forward to see seven dark figures overseeing the chaos, their faces completely unrecognizable._

 _"_ _Chase Suno."_

 _Instantly, Chase appeared, as if out of nowhere. He was staring them all down, a look of fury in his eyes. From behind him arose another figure that soon grew into Chase's partner, Locke. The monsuno let out a roar, that was somehow more terrifying to hear._

 _The figures ran_ _forwards. As soon as they got close, however, their appearances started to distort and transform. Beyal let out a gasp as some of them let out shrilled sounds as they seemed to turn into monsuno as well. Chase stumbled backwards as Locke charged forward to meet them._

 _A woman started to scream._

 _Chase turned away, now with a frantic look on his face as he turned to look in every direction to find where that voice came from. Locke, now without anyone to command, became overwhelmed by the figures that were attacking it, including the monsuno that were still swarming the skies and now diving down at it._

 _"Mom! Dad! Where are you?!" the raven-haired teen shouted, now ignoring as Locke was taken down. It let out a pained cry just as another scream was heard._

 _One of the figures was standing a few feet away, holding out an object as they muttered something under their breath. The wind started to grow, and the flames grew brighter, even turning green._

 _Chase let out a gasp, looking out beyond where that person stood as two familiar people showed up. Chase ran past the person chanting, ignoring them as he ran towards the other two as they did the same._

 _"Mom! Dad!"_

 _The figure slowly turned, aiming a hand at the three Sunos as they ran towards each other._

 _"No! Chase!" Beyal shouted, "Look out-"_

 _A cloaked figure rose from the shadows of the flames in front of him, obscuring his view of what was happening. He took a step back as the figure continued to loom over._

 _He turned to flee, but gasped as an identical figure was behind him. He turned every way to try and escape or find Chase, but these people continued to appear until all he could see was a see of black and green. Locke was still letting out cries for Chase, and he was nowhere to be found._

 _Beyal frantically started to run blindly through the crowd, searching for any sign. Screams continued to fill the air, and continued to grow as he ran harder. A blast hit nearby, knocking him and the nearby figures off their feet. He tried to get up, but was soon pinned down by someone._

 _Chase was screaming._

 _The monk tried to fight them off, but from below that dark hood were two eyes that glowed in the shadows. His strength was suddenly leaving, that stare piercing through his mind._

 _Chase screamed again. Or was that him screaming? Everything was mixing together. His eyes and ears flooding with bright lights and ear piercing shrieks until he couldn't take it any longer. As soon as he pushed away, the sense of vertigo rose, and he was falling into darkness._

 _..._

 _..._

Beyal let out a gasp, body jerking as he came back to reality. He panted heavily, his body feeling strangely numb. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking deep breaths as if he ran a marathon. He relaxed, feeling the cool grass against his skin. When did he fall over?

"...Hey...? Are you alright?" Beyal blinked slowly, a face becoming clearer as he did. It was Tango. She had a confused look on her face, had she been watching this whole time? He nodded, and sat up right.

"I... I'm fine. Just a little tired," he said, taking a shaky breath. That vision was so vivid... And it wasn't like anything he had before. It was mixed like a dream, with no sense of reality to it. What could it mean...

Tango let out a huff, "You really shouldn't sleep in public. An enemy could sneak up on you. Basic training rule."

He raised a brow, but understood where she was coming from. It was interesting to interact with the Strike Squad to say the least, especially since they were usually so formal. Still, they were their comrades now, and should be treated a bit better then they have been in the past (though Chase and Alpha certainly had their fights still).

"I wasn't sleeping. I was meditating," he said, getting to his feet, "What're you doing here? You aren't usually around here."

A blush suddenly formed across Tango's cheek. She quickly turned to the side.

"Well... That..." she stuttered, "Well... I always saw Chase's mom come up here. A-and even I have to admit that it's… n-nice up here."

"You like flowers?" Beyal asked with a tilt of his head, suddenly aware of the blossoms she was holding. The red flush grew deeper as she quickly hid them behind her back.

"I-I mean... I do like to- It's none of your business! I wouldn't like to do something _that_ trivial" she huffed, crossing her arms. She turned on her heel and left. Beyal watched as she disappeared behind some of the taller bushes back towards the entrance.

Beyal let out a sigh, then sat back down on the grass. The memory of the vision was already fading, as if it was only a dream. But he knew better. Whatever that was, it was a warning of what was to come.

And whatever was coming didn't seem good for any of them. Especially for Chase.

HLP

Jeredy let out a sigh as he hung up the phone. He walked back to the table where Sophia was sitting, stirring some tea a bit absently.

"Was it Jon again?" she asked.

"Yeah. Chase just got back with the monsuno energy that I need," Jeredy said, rubbing the back of his neck, "But it seems like someone else was after it too."

Sophia stopped, and raised a brow, "Was it Tallis?"

"Not sure. Trey is handling that right now," Jeredy sighed, taking his own cup into his hands, "They're going to go out to search for this person first thing in the morning. But Jon wants to meet with me as soon as possible."

"Are you going to go now? Your son is probably going to want to see you," Sophia said. Jeredy let out a sigh.

"I suppose. He can be a bit rash sometimes after all," he said. Jon did mention Chase asking about the monsuno energy, might as well tell him. And Chase was like him in that sense, wanting to act before thinking. Still, there were times when that was a bad thing, and keeping things from his son tended to backfire on the man. He did make a promise not to keep anymore secrets.

The front door opened and closed, and Jeredy got up.

"Chase? Did you want to talk about-"

He stopped. Instead of their son stood three figures clad in black. Before he could react, the smaller of the three charged forward and tackled him. He let out a gasp as they both hit the ground.

"What's going on-"

Sophia let out a gasp at the sight of them all.

"Sophia! Get out of here!"

Neither of them were quick enough as one of the figures quickly grabbed Sophia, a knife now fixed at her throat.

"Sophia!" Jeredy exclaimed, then somehow pushed the one on top of him off and charged at the one near his wife. He didn't even take two steps before being taken down by the largest of the three figures.

"Calm down, Doctor," the one near Sophia said, easing the blade away by an inch, "We don't have any intention to harm either of you. As long as you do as we say off course."

He struggled against the other's grasp, but relaxed when he saw the worried look Sophia was giving him. She shook her head, silently telling him to stop. He did, and the larger released him. He sat up glaring at each of them.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves, since there's no point in hiding it with Sophia here," the one with the blade said, removing his hood, "You may call me Ehna. The one over there is Triah. And the runt is Exi."

The smaller let out a huff, but didn't say anything. At the reveal, Sophia let out a gasp.

"You all survived?" She said in a calm but shocked voice, "But... You all perished after-"

"No. _She_ perished," Ehna interrupted in a dark tone, "But that's not what's important at the moment. Not with us here, anyway."

None of them said anything for a moment. A pin could drop and they would probably flinch just from the tension in the room alone.

"Who are you? And what do you want?" Jeredy demanded. They didn't look like typical thieves. And it took guts to try and steal from a S.T.O.R.M. cloud carrier. This couldn't be a good thing.

"Interesting. You never told him about us? Nice haircut by the way," Exi commented to her as he twisted a chair around and sat down, resting his chin on the back, "It's funny. You look older with short hair. You ought to grow it out again."

She tensed up. Even though they were trying to engage in casual talk, it was obvious that they had malicious intent. She let out a sigh.

"These three were from the Hand of Destiny," she said to Jeredy, "They're the reason behind the shapeshifter cores."

Jeredy's eyes widened. The Hand actually experimented on _humans_?! Even Core Tech wasn't willing to go that far, even with S.T.O.R.M. pressuring them. Still, if they had not been stopped, would the Hand have experimented on Chase the same way?

"Well, Sophia," Ehna said, moving the blade back, "I was surprised to hear that you would be so willing to become a regular old housewife. I mean, it was expected, but even you have a lot more potential then that."

"What do you three want?" she asked, trying not to sound nervous, "The Hand of Destiny is gone. You're free to do whatever you please. Why come after me?"

"That's where you're wrong," Exi said, rocking the chair back and forth on its legs. She raised a brow.

"You see, we don't care about the Hand anymore," Ehna said, "What we're up to is something more... Simple."

"Is it... me?" she asked, trying not to sound nervous.

"No, actually," Ehna said, then motioned at Triah. The larger nodded, then walked over towards the other side of the room where Jeredy kept most of the research. Immediately, the scientist got up to protest.

"Stop right there, doctor," Ehna said, gesturing with the knife, "Think about stopping us, and you'll be missing more then your research."

The man growled a bit, but sat back on the ground. If he reacted too fast they could hurt Sophia. But if he didn't do something soon, they could take some of his most important research, and who knows what they could do with it. He let out a small sigh, and glanced quickly over to the counter top where he left Driftblade's core under some of the papers. If he could reach it...

He turned back to the others in the room, noticing how the smaller was staring in his direction. He looked to the ground, hoping they didn't see the core. It wasn't like he could spin it out even if he got it anyway. The monsuno would destroy the whole room and then some.

"What are you all looking for?" Sophia asked, getting the attention of the others again, "You're all capable of taking on S.T.O.R.M., why obtain research?"

Ehna and the smaller figure glanced at each other, and then back to Sophia.

"Again, a simple reason," he said. Just then, the larger figure returned, holding the Eklipse cores that were taken from Klipse and Six when they were brought in. Jeredy almost got up in protest, but heard Sophia make a sound, and stayed seated.

"Could I hold those?" the smaller asked. The other two glared, and he quieted. The larger threw them to Ehna, who pocketed them.

"Did you find _it_?" he asked. Triah shook his head, then went back towards the files and started filing through them quickly and unceremoniously. After a minutes, he got frustrated, and started throwing some of them to the ground.

Jeredy tensed up. He could see Driftblade's core rolling out from some of the files and near the edge of the desk. He glanced around, and slowly moved his feet under himself so he could jump at the right moment. It didn't matter if their flat got destroyed, S.T.O.R.M. could fix that. But if these people were as dangerous as Sophia says they are, then they had to be stopped here and now.

He looked around again, and felt his stomach dropped as he realized the smaller one was watching him again. He must've seen, and quickly looked over towards the desk. From the corner of his eye, Jeredy could see the core rolling. As soon as it dropped, the two of them took off.

"Jeredy!"

"No- wait!"

He reached, as did Exi. They both gripped onto some part of it, intending to retch it out of the other's grasp. As soon as their fingers had touched however, the core lit up in a flash of yellow.

Someone cursed, and suddenly, there were flashes that flooded his vision.

 _Monsuno. Fighting. Chaos. S.T.O.R.M. soldiers. His son and Locke at one point. Images blurring together in one giant flash. Jeredy couldn't move even if he tried, forced to watch as the it continued to unfold in front of him. There was one person that was consistently there. None other then the former head of S.T.O.R.M., Charlemange._

 _The mountains of Tibal. The jungle. Monsuno roaring._

 _'_ What is this? _' Jeredy thought as the flashes of images got faster until he felt his head aching. Were these… Memories? But there was something wrong. These weren't a person's memories. They were distorted and harsh. He could feel the feelings of the moments as the saw them one after the other. Anger, and fear._

 _Out of the images he could see the blonde woman's harsh look piercing through him. He let out a gasp of realization. They were memories. They were Driftblade's._

"Let go of it, you brat!"

Jeredy snapped out of his daze as he found himself still holding the core that was now violently shining and erupting with energy. He looked over to see the smaller figure still holding onto it as well. His hood had been cast off by the flurry of energy, and Jeredy was surprised to see that it was a young boy, probably younger then Chase. He was probably seeing something similar by the blank look on his face.

"Let go already! Don't make me break your hand!" Ehna cursed angrily as he tried to pull the smaller away without any success. As if in response, the core continued to shower out energy. Jeredy thought he heard a roar.

Gritting his teeth, the scientist brought up his leg and kicked the two away. Somehow it had worked, and they were all flung in different directions. Driftblade's core still shone in his hand, and Jeredy didn't hesitate to jump to his feet.

"Driftblade! Launch!"

The energy that had been built up was released. All the windows shattered, wind now whipping all around them. The monsuno ripped through the ceiling and let out a howl as it stood on the outside the remains of the room and onto the top of the ship.

Driftblade attacked without hesitation.

It immediately ran for the two cloaked figures that had been gripping onto the core a few seconds ago, who were now half lying on the other side of the room. Instantly, the larger of the three had gotten in between, and stopped the monsuno in its tracks. Jeredy looked over and could see Sophia hiding by the doorway now that she had been let go. He ran over and grabbed her hand as the monsuno roared.

"Driftblade, plasma barrage!"

The monsuno let out a huff as it's wings glowed with electricity just as the two Sunos fled into the hallway. As soon as they did, they could hear the attack, and smoke filled the hall.

An alarm was going off, meaning S.T.O.R.M. soldiers would be there soon. Jeredy looked inside the remains of their flat and gasped. Driftblade was now hanging outside of the roof, as if it had been thrown aside. The larger figure stood close by, some of their cloak now ripped. Jeredy squinted as the figure turned, revealing the face of a dark-skinned man. He must've noticed the two looking back inside, as he turned to glare at them.

Sophia let out a choked sound, and Jeredy's eyes widened. Half of the man's face wasn't human at all. It was downright beastly as fur and scales replaced skin. Is this what the Hand had done to get shapeshifter cores?

"Triah! Forget about them! We have what we need!" Ehna shouted, rising to his feet as he did. Exi must've been knocked out, as he was now slumped on the ground. The larger nodded and jumped through one of the large broken windows as more sirens started to go off.

"Driftblade! Stop them!" Jeredy ordered.

The monsuno huffed, and opened it's jowls for an attack. In a flash of yellow, sparks were thrown at the two figures. Instead of hitting, however, the blast had been shot back, hitting Driftblade and the remains of the room. Flames lit up the room as wires and sparks flew out. Jeredy flinched a bit, and peered out to see that the smaller boy had gotten up and took the brunt of the hit, hands outstretched as if to catch the blast. He was panting heavily.

After taking one step the boy fell forward, caught by the older. Ehna let out an annoyed sigh as he flung him over his shoulder. He must've seen Sophia, as he glared at the two of them from the other side of the room. She took a few steps inside, walking past Jeredy as she did.

"Your off the hook for now," Ehna said loudly over the roar of the fire, "Just know it would be a shame if your son made any hasty moves like you did tonight Dr. Suno. Make sure to keep him in line."

He walked over towards the window that the larger had jumped out of, casting a sideways glance at them.

"What is it you want with Chase?" Sophia demanded, "Does it have to do with his monsuno sight? Does it… Have to do with me?"

She and Enha stared at each other, thought it was hard to tell what they were thinking. Jeredy quickly looked over to Driftblade to see the monsuno breathing heavily as it tried to move.

"I told you before, no," Ehna said in a matter-of-fact way, "Everything having to do with Hand as been erased. To be forgotten. I'd imagine that you'd do the same. After all-"

He jumped onto the ledge of the window, casting a glance back at the two Suno's, "you're not a Keeper anymore."

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks to TacticianLyra for the review!

Enjoy!

* * *

Alarms went off, making everyone jump as bright red lights blared throughout the rooms and halls.

"Wh-what's going on?!" Bren exclaimed as soldiers started running out of the cafeteria in a dizzying wave. Chase let out a gasp.

"Don't you read the manuals, Glasses? It's an alarm about a breach in the ship!" Dax shouted as they all got to their feet.

"And you read them?" Bren said, raising a brow, "Who would even attack a S.T.O.R.M. ship?"

He and Jinja all exchanged looks before realization dawned on them. They all looked to Chase, who's face had gone pale. Before any of them could react, he was bolting down the hall back to his parents' flat.

"W-wait a sec Chase!" Jinja exclaimed after him. Soldiers were now running all over the place, shouting things that almost made no sense in the blur of the moment. Bren could see Chase's jacket as he practically soared through the halls. It was only when they got closer to his place did they all realize the soldiers were going towards there as well.

Another alarm went off. This one much different.

"What's going on now?" Bren asked as they all came to a halt.

"…It's a prision break!" Jinja said, looking around, "Someone's probably escaped."

"So what do we do?" Bren asked. It wasn't like they were like the rest of the S.T.O.R.M. soldiers. They didn't really have any authority here on the ship, only in the field. Chase didn't hesitate, and started to run back to his apartment again. Bren took a step to follow him when Jinja gasped again.

"Hold on. I'm going to go find Beyal," she said, turning to go in the other direction.

"W-wait! Jinja! Doesn't it make sense we all-" Bren started, but was soon left as she took off as well, leaving him and Dax standing in the hall. Dax let out a sigh.

"C'mon, Glasses. Let's go help out Chase. Knowing the type of trouble that could've happened, his parents were probably in the middle of it."

The two of them quickly caught up with their leader as he charged through the crowds. Bren could hear the soldiers shouting about how they saw something outside, but that could've been anything. There was a chance that it was monsuno attacking, but the only people out there that had monsuno still were the Forge Resistance and a few of the mercenaries that used Eklipse cores, who were all definitely avoiding S.T.O.R.M. at this point. They rounded the corner, and Bren let out a gasp as smoke crept from the doorway into the hall.

"Mom! Dad!" Chase shouted as they ran over. Soldiers continued to move in and out frantically, ignoring the three of them for the most part. Chase pushed his way inside, as did the other two

It was completely ruined. The roof practically gone, and everything either scorched or vaporized. Bren did a quick look around from where they stood, seeing how it looked as if a monsuno had attacked. He glanced quickly over to Chase to see his face was still pale with worry. A few soldiers made their way in and out, now taking some of the destroyed furniture out as they did.

"Mom! Dad!" Chase exclaimed, running over to where the two of them stood. Bren stepped through the bustling crowds just as Chase reached his parents, immediately embracing them.

"W-what happened?" the raven-haired teen asked. Both his parents looked fine, though a bit shaken up. Jon Ace was also there, signaling some of the soldiers every few seconds. Sophia and Jeredy exchanged looks, as if debating what to say.

"It seems there was an attack to try and obtain your father's research," Jon said after a moment, "It's hard to say what they took exactly, but we'll be able to tell soon enough."

Chase narrowed his eyes a bit, "Who's 'they'?"

Jon turned to Chase's parents, who were still quiet. Jeredy let out a sigh.

"It was this group of… Well…" He scratched the back of his neck, "Your mother said they're part of the Hand of Destiny, but they said they weren't anymore so-"

"Was it that kid again? Or this guy with brown hair?" Chase asks quickly. Sophia had a look of surprise when he said this. Jon looked to Jeredy, who still seemed hesitant towards saying anything. Bren felt a tap on his shoulder, and saw it was Dax.

"Oi. Who's he talking about, Glasses?" he asked quietly. Bren blinked dumbly. Throughout the night they had yet to say anything to Dax or Beyal about the boy they saw earlier, even when they were in Trey's office.

"Earlier on the mission, there was this kid who was trying to steal the monsuno energy from the warehouse we had to go to," Bren whispered, and then frowned immediately, "Actually, he did steal. But that's not what's important right now. He was one of those guys from the Hand of Destiny."

"But I thought we beat Droog and the rest of them a few weeks ago," Dax said with a frown. Bren shook his head.

"No, not them. The ones who were in those ruins," he said, making vague motions with his hands, "You know. With the original monsuno and how they had weird monsuno powers that I was telling you guys about."

Dax scratched his cheek, "Oh yeah. Forgot about them."

The two turned back to Chase and the rest of them who were still talking.

"-We'll go after them right now! I doubt they got that far," Chase said, turning to Jon, "We can go as soon as-"

"Chase. No," Sophia said firmly, "They're gone. And going after them isn't wise. Especially at night like this where they could easily launch a sneak attack."

"B-but mom, they don't have any monsuno! And it's not like I'll be completely harmless with Locke around!"

One of the soldiers marched up to Jon, giving a silent salute.

"Sir. It's just been confirmed that two of the prisoners have escaped," they said, "It appears to have been Professor Klipse and Six."

Everyone went quiet. The soldier gave another salute, and walked away. They had enough problems as is, but now Klipse was out too? Bren couldn't help but inwardly groan at the timing of everything. Chase and Dax both exchanged looks, and Sophia just looked away. Jon, however, was watching Jeredy, who had grown silent and was now looking intensely down at the core in his hand.

"… What is it Jeredy?" Jon asked. The scientist stared down at Driftblade's core in his palm. He finally shook his head.

"… No. It's nothing right now," he said, then looked up, "We have to go after them Jon, and not just those three that attacked. If Klipse really escaped, then there's the possibility of them meeting up with Tallis again and starting something."

" _I wouldn't be so sure doctor._ "

They all turned to the door to see Trey walking in. Or rather, trying to walk with Sebastian clinging to his leg.

"The lead of Axistown was right. He was there," Trey said, finally getting tired and picking Sebastian up, "Not sure why he was there. But we caught him and one of the Punk Monks-"

"Hey uncle! Can we go get ice cream now? Are there going to be french fries? Where are we? Why's it so gross now?" Sebastian continued to babble. Jeredy and Sophia exchanged looks as Trey gave an exhaustive sigh.

"Sebastian, was it?" Sophia asked with a smile, going over to them. He stopped talking with a frown and nodded.

"How about we go to the cafeteria? I'm sure they'll have something there," she said. The boy looked to Trey, who nodded. He put Sebastian down, who was now suddenly very quiet as he took Sophia's hand.

"W-wait! Mom-" Chase started, but stopped when he saw her give him a reassuring look.

"We'll be right back. I promise," she said, then walked out with the boy in tow. Chase watched them as they disappeared around the corner. Bren could tell that he didn't like the idea of her wandering around without any protection, especially now that S.T.O.R.M. had been breached.

Jon cleared his throat, "Anyway. Where was Tallis taken? Or have they arrived yet?"

"The ship with him and the other captive is on it's way. Good timing considering they could've easily gotten away in all this chaos," Trey said, glancing around the room, "I'll tell them to stay airborne until we give them the all clear."

The commandant nodded, and Trey turned on his heel and left the room. It got quiet besides the soldiers now trying to quickly patch up the room.

"… Jon, please," Chase started again, "I know that we have bigger problems at the moment, but can you let us go out, even just for a few minutes?"

The two stared at each other, though Chase's eyes seemed to waver against the man's hardened gaze.

"… No," Jon said, turning away to one of the soldiers, "Help Dr. Suno get his research over to the labs below. It'll have to do for now. And be sure to go find Mrs. Suno and tell her to go down to the other apartment where the rest of Team Core Tech is staying. The three of them will have to stay there until we get this mess cleaned up."

Before Chase could start to argue again, the Commandant turned and left the room. It grew awkwardly silent, and Dax tapped on Bren's shoulder again, motioning for the two of them to leave.

At first, Bren glared a bit, thinking that it would be terrible to leave his best friend in the middle of this. But when turned to the other, he could see that there was this look in Chase's eye that was unsettling. Bren hesitated as Chase glanced wistfully around the room, but knew he had to get Chase's mind off this or he'd do something rash (something he was known for).

"Hey, Chase," he said, "Let's go down to the other flat for now. We can clean this up in the morning."

The raven-haired teen looked around, then finally back to the other two.

"Nah. I think I'm going to stay and help out my dad," he said, a faint smile on his lips. Bren felt his heart twinge a little for the other. Growing up with a bunch of older siblings made one a bit thankful for moments of alone time, Bren could say that from experience. But Chase never got to experience anything with his family, even some of the moments that left Bren cringing. And to finally have peace just for it to come crashing down like this must've been shocking.

Bren sighed, then went ahead and followed Dax out the door.

HLP

It didn't take long for Jinja to find the monk boy. On the contrary, she nearly ran into him as he stared a bit blankly out one of the hall windows.

"Ah! Beyal I-um... What're you doing?" she asked, coming to a halt. He blinked turning to her.

"Oh. Just thinking," he said, gaze falling for a moment before he glanced around, "Is there something wrong?"

She raised a brow, "Um… Haven't you heard the alarms going off? Someone attacked S.T.O.R.M. just now."

He blinked slowly again. Did he just wake up or something? Jinja shrugged to herself, it was probably nothing.

"Well… Anyway," she said, "Let's go find the others, something might've happened to Chase's family."

Beyal's eyes widened a bit, but he didn't say anything as they walked down the hall. Jinja felt the urge to run throughout all the chaos still going on, but the other teen didn't seem to worried at the moment, going at a casual pace. She would've found it reassuring if it weren't for the fact that soldiers kept bumping into them every few seconds.

About halfway back to Chase's apartment, Jinja looked over and saw Beyal suddenly stop in his tracks. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but could see there was a faraway look in his eye that usually came when he got a vision.

"… Beyal? What is it?" she asked. He didn't seem to hear her, and stared down at the ground for a moment.

"I… Keep seeing flashes of… something," he said vaguely, putting a hand to his head, "I'm not sure what it means…"

Jinja put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Even though she also had monsuno sight, she still didn't understand what any of it meant. Sure she knew theoretically what it was, but actually trying to use it was a whole different story (so in some ways, this was the only thing that Chase was better at then her). Still, it'd be nice to understand so she could at least offer some sort of comfort to the monk, even Chase to some extent.

"Maybe you should tell Chase," she said, moving a little out of the way as a few soldiers ran by. The alarms turned off, which meant whatever was going on was now being handled.

"No… I think I'll just… Go lie down," he replied faintly, then turned around to go back to the apartment they all stayed at. Jinja stood there for a moment, split between going with the monk or going to see if Chase and his family were alright. She decided to go with Beyal, and shook her head for a moment before following. Nothing had blown up in the past few minutes, which meant things were probably alright on Chase's side.

He didn't seem to notice her as they walked along. Whatever was distracting him at dinner was probably on his mind. She wanted to ask, but sometimes it was better to just let him be. They got back after a few minutes, the place pretty empty. There was a good chance that everyone else that stayed here was either out and about or out in the field. Beyal didn't hesitate to head straight for his room.

She took a few steps towards him, but stopped when someone almost bumped into her. She blinked, realizing it was Tango.

"Oh. Sorry," the other girl said, taking a side step. Jinja blinked, and glanced to where she came from. She let out a small laugh.

"Wait. Why were you in Bren's room?" Jinja asked, a little bemused. Tango's cheek grew red.

"I-I… It doesn't concern you," she huffed, then quickly walked off. The red-haired girl quickly glanced inside just as the door closed, spotting a few white blossoms sitting on Bren's desk. She chuckled to herself, and had to admit that Bren's ability to woo the other girl was impressive. Especially considering how clammy he got at the mere mention of the black-haired girl. But for Tango to actually go out of her way to do something for Bren was a bit outstanding, if a little scary as well.

Jinja looked up, but saw that Beyal had already left. Seeing that there was no point in hovering over him, she decided to go down to the main area. She spotted Alpha sitting on one of the couches. After a moment, she walked right over and sat down with a sigh.

"… What's up?" he said casually. It was then that Jinja noticed that he was looking down at one of his cores rather intensely.

"Um… Nothing much," she said, then shook her head, "actually, could I ask you something?"

Alpha shrugged, which probably meant a yes.

"Could you… Keep an eye on Chase?" she asked, "well… Watch him more then you usually do."

"I-I don't watch him!" Alpha said, turning as red as Tango did a few moments ago. Jinja rolled her eyes.

"Yeah sure," she sighed, then gave him a serious look, "But… I just want to make sure that he doesn't do anything to reckless. I have... a bad feeling right now… That alarm earlier made him think it had to do with his parents. I don't think anythings wrong right now. But..."

He turned with a quirked brow. They stared at each other, and it seemed like he understood where she was coming from. And it was true that there was something eating at her ever since the alarm sounded. At first she thought it was nothing, but with Chase and Beyal acting up, it could easily be something dealing with monsuno.

Alpha let out a sigh, "Fine. But you owe me."

HLP

"I think this is the last of them," Jeredy said, stacking one of the boxes full of papers and cores into one of the S.T.O.R.M. labs. Chase glanced around. They didn't really have a lot of stuff left from the attack, but it was hard to tell most of the time with his dad's research sprawled around the living room on some of the bad days. For all they knew, nothing was taken at all (not that Chase believed that).

"You sure? Cause we can always go back and look before S.T.O.R.M. starts throwing things away," Chase said. Jeredy shook his head.

"Nah. I told them to bring anything that looked important down here. I'm sure they can figure things out with Jon up there with them," he sighed. Chase watched him for a minute, debating whether to say something. Now was as good a time as any.

"Hey Dad," he started, "Why was that energy so important? You know, the stuff we had to get today?"

His father turned around, "Well… The properties for one are a bit more unstable then the stuff I've handled so far. It's much like the monsuno essence that was found on that rock piece that me, Jon, and Klipse studied a long time ago."

A while back, Chase and his friends, along with Jon Ace, had to go after a meteor piece that was infused with monsuno essence. However, the reaction it had caused massive destruction to the facility it was in, and even transformed Jon Ace into a monsuno hybrid for a while. It was surprising to know that there was still monsuno essence out there that was still active like that.

"It… It can't possibly react in the way that it did before, right?" Chase asked. There was some hesitance from his father, but he nodded in the end.

"The chance of there being something similar to what happened to Jon is unlikely. Besides, the data on the shadow effect was lost when the facility was destroyed, and when Klipse's own floating base was taken down by you and Locke," he said, "I don't think we have to much to worry about."

There was still something wrong, but Chase couldn't place it. Instead he just nodded. He looked at the time, and saw that it had gotten rather late. Chances were, his mother was now back at the apartment that everyone else was staying at. At least he had that to look forward to. He walked towards the door.

"… Hold on for a moment," Jeredy said, "Could I see Locke for a sec?"

Chase turned back around, and nodded. He handed over the core, watching as Jeredy examined up close the small core.

"Has… Was there ever a reaction from Locke that was… Different?" he asked. Chase turned around with a raised brow.

"What do you mean? Like he was acting funny?"

"Not quite," his father said, "More like the core. Was there a moment when you could sense more then just Locke's presence? Like what he was thinking? Or if anyone else made that type of reaction before?"

The teen folded his arms in thought. Of course there were tons of times he could hear Locke, and a lot more now that he was understanding how monsuno sight worked. But something told him that wasn't what his father meant. The only other time there was a strong reaction with Locke was when he was trying to be ordered by Six.

But nothing every happened after that, so why would his father ask?

"There was this one time with Six, but he hasn't tried anything like it since," Chase said honestly, "Why? Do you think somethings wrong with Locke?"

Jeredy had a serious look on his face as he stared down at the core. He passed it back, but continued to look down at his desk.

"… Dad?" Chase asked. His reaction certainly didn't seem reassuring, but there had to be a reason behind it. Was his father… Keeping something from him?

"… It's nothing," Jeredy sighed, then looked up, "I'll figure it out later. In the mean time, why don't you go and try to get some sleep. If your really going after the Hand of Destiny tomorrow, you might as well gets some rest."

Chase watched as his father turned to look back at the core and files on his desk, and let out a sigh. There was truth to his words, seeing that staying up all night worrying wouldn't do anything for them now. He walked to the door, letting his gaze linger on his father as the door shut, the scientist now engulfed in research.

With a sigh, Chase shoved his hands into his pockets and started to head for the flat they were staying in for the moment. It was quiet when he got there, which must've meant that everyone else had probably gone to sleep. He let out a tired yawn as he shuffled over to his room, but stopped when he heard a soft voice coming from his parent's room.

Curious, he peered a little inside to see his mom and, shockingly, Sebastian of all people. He stayed quiet as Sophia continued to talk.

"-and then he beat it down with his own fists. And that's how Trey was able to save that port town from monsuno," Sophia said. Sebastian pouted.

"I really doubt that. My uncle is really lame," he said, crossing his arms, "he got beat by Chase of all people. But I guess Chase is really cool so it was expected."

Sophia let out chuckle, "Now, now. You'd be surprised by the type of action your uncle as seen. Even Jeredy was quite the fighter back in the day-"

"You mean before the wrinkles?"

"Yes. Before the wrinkles," Sophia said with a smile. Sebastian let out a yawn, wiping his eyes as well.

"I think it's time you go back to your uncle," she said, then stood up, "C'mon. He's just around the corner in the other apartment."

The boy hopped up from his seat and took Sophia's hand, something that genuinely surprised Chase. He quickly hid inside his own room, watching as the two walked out and into the hallway, now heading for Trey's place.

Some of the first times he ever spoke to just his mom were actually very quiet moments. He wasn't sure what to say or ask, seeing that he always thought she was dead. If anything, he just ended up talking about his own adventures with monsuno for the past year or so. It was only after a few weeks did she start telling the stories about his father and before monsuno started to take over their lives.

"I wonder…" he muttered to himself, "If… We could've been like that if it weren't for the hand."

His eyes lingered where he saw the two leave, and gripped the door. It didn't matter, the past was behind them. He had to focus on what was going on right now. And the way he saw it, the Hand was still out there, and they tried to get to her and his father.

He turned and quickly started rummaging through the things in the room, not bothering to be quiet. Even though he knew it'd be going against regulations, and he'd probably get into a lot of trouble for doing it, but he had to look for them now. The longer they were out there, the longer they were plotting. And even if he wasn't going after them, Klipse had gotten out, which meant even more trouble.

He piled a few of the spare objects in the room that he could use for a long trip. Most of his personal stuff was probably still in the other apartment, though he wasn't sure if his or his parents' rooms were actually damaged.

"… I wonder if I should go get another core…" he said to himself, glancing around.

" _Why would you?"_

He jumped at the voice in his doorway, and quickly turned to see Alpha leaning in the doorway. Chase hesitated to answer, knowing Alpha would probably report him.

"Oh. Umm… Just a little midnight training," he shrugged, hiding his half filled bag behind him, "why are you even in here? Shouldn't you be ironing Trey's coats or something?"

Alpha's eye twitched, and his frown deepened. He let out a sigh.

"Listen Suno. I already heard about the whole situation with you and your family-"

"No you didn't," Chase cut him off, "And why would you even care? My problems don't concern you."

Chase turned back to start looking around the room for something else he'd need. Alpha took a step forward, putting a hand on the other's shoulder.

"Things matter when they affect your team, Suno," he said, "And if your to be my rival, I don't want to have to drag you of all people out of trouble."

Chase turned back around, staring intently at the red-haired teen. It was almost as if Alpha was trying to challenge him without saying anything. He could just hear it in the tone that he spoke in. Alpha removed his hand.

"You wouldn't understand," Chase said, heading bowing a little, "This is… I finally got back something that I've been missing for so long. I can't… I'm not going to just sit around waiting for the next attack. Not when I can do something about it!"

He looked back up with a determined look, "And I don't care what trouble I'll get into later. Right now is what matters."

Alpha chuckled, surprisingly, "Well then. How about a deal? You and me, on the roof. If you beat me, I won't say anything. But if I win, you have to go tell Commandant Ace yourself."

Chase raised a brow. He was actually offering a deal? Instead of just outright reporting? He could just run now and hope for the best. But if Alpha was helping him from the inside, maybe he could get a lot farther then on his own. This could also just be Alpha's way of challenging him again, but whatever. He could use a monsuno fight at the moment anyway.

"Alright. Lead the way."

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thank to monsuno power and KaimelartheDreamer for the reviews! Apologies for getting this out late. Beta be getting busy at school (and I was having trouble figuring out how to connect this chapter).

Enjoy!

* * *

Jon listened as one of the soldiers stood by, explaining the problems with the security system as he stared down at the fried keypad next to the previously occupied cell. When he got the alert about someone attacking the ship, he assumed it was someone coming for Klipse. It was only when he got the alert of someone attacking Jeredy's apartment did he realize it was something worse. Of course, after he had dealt with that situation did he get the report of activity in the holding cells.

"-there's nothing wrong with the system overall," the soldier said, not noticing how Jon wasn't paying much attention, "So we'll have someone come down and look at it. It could've just been a small bug that only affected these two doors."

"… Yes," Jon said, then glanced up to look down the hall, "Make sure the Suno residence is taken care of before that."

The soldier nodded, then left the hall. Jon continued to stare down at the keypad, leaning down at it for a closer look. What were the chances of Klipse escaping during an attack on the ship? Probably slim, but the feeling in his stomach said otherwise. Of course, that could've also been...

He shook his head and stood up. He had more important matters to focus on.

"Lieutenant," he said into a communicator he had on hand, "Make sure to bring Tallis down for questioning once you land. Just be sure to check the door of the cell that he'll occupy before hand."

He got a 'yes sir' before the line stopped. S.T.O.R.M. may have just captured one of the more dangerous criminals out there, but lost one as well. It was a little odd to see Dr. Tallis already making a move so soon after Klipse was captured, seeing that they had yet to hear of anything from the Forge Resistance. All of this seemed a little suspicious given the timing of this latest attack.

He glanced over to one of the other occupied cells that wasn't messed with. Jon found that a little odd considering who was in it. He walked over, leaning against the wall next to the door.

"… So. What do you think?" he asked out loud, "Doesn't seem coincidence that Klipse could escape the same night someone comes after the Suno's, don't you think?"

There was shifting in the room, but he didn't look inside. There was a pause before a voice came from inside.

"… Of course not. If you had enough control of _my_ troops, zen you would know not to take any attack lightly," Charlemange said in a low tone.

"I suppose. But they're not your troops anymore. You lost that right," Jon said, crossing his arms as he turned to look over, "… Well?"

"Well what?"

"I put Klipse next to you, so you must've seen who it was who let him out. Was it three people in black cloaks?" Jon asked. The woman seemed to think silently, though she might've just been ignoring him. Something that was typical of her.

"…"

"Did they get out on their own then? Where was he planning on going?"

Jon let out a sigh. She was being stubborn again, not that he wasn't expecting that. Glancing around, he figured he might as well check the security tapes. He started to walk back to the exit, but stopped for a moment.

"… One more thing," he said, turning to look over his shoulder, "Why didn't you go with them? It's obvious that they want revenge on Chase Suno. I'd imagine that's something your interested seeing that he put you in that cell in the first place."

That seemed to rile the old commandant up, as she banged on the door to her cell, now glaring intensely at Jon.

" _He_ wasn't ze only one you know!" she spat angrily, "I was _betrayed_! By that useless worm of a commander! And believe me, if those three weren't going after that other worthless man I despise I would've gone with them!"

She left the window fuming with anger. Jon waited a moment before turning to leave. Inwardly, he was a bit intimidated as well as pleased. He managed to get some information from her, if only because of her outburst. As he walked down the hall, he thought for a moment about what she said last.

So those three had come down to the holding cell, and probably did have something to do with Klipse's escape. And whoever they were, were after someone else apparently. At first, Jon thought it was Klipse, but Charlemange doesn't outright hate him (though she also doesn't like him). There was a good chance those three were talking about Jeredy, but according to said scientist, they were only after his research. Were they talking about someone else?

Jon wasn't about to rule out that option. He would just have a hard time figuring it out. But there was probably one person he could ask indefinitely. Seeing that he had nothing urgent at the moment, he found it wise to follow through with that.

It didn't take long to get to the residence of the commanders of S.T.O.R.M., thought Jon was a bit hesitant to go inside considering what little boy was currently running around in place. Still, he had to confirm his suspicions about what Charlemagne said. With a deep breath, he opened the door and went inside.

To his surprise, the whole place hadn't been turned upside down. In fact, Trey and his nephew were nowhere to be found. He took a few cautious steps towards the back rooms, and heard footsteps. He waited before the Commander appeared.

"… Oh! Commandant Marshall Ace," he said quietly, being mindful to step away from the back hallway, "What brings you here tonight?"

Jon motioned for the other to follow him, if only so they could talk a bit more privately. They left the room and trailed back to Jon's office, which wasn't too far off. When they got inside, Jon motioned the other to close the door as he sat down.

"What is it that you needed to talk about?" Trey asked.

"It's about those three that attacked Jeredy and Sophia earlier," Jon said, leaning forward, "It appears that they also helped Klipse and Six escape earlier before they went after Dr. Suno's research."

Trey nodded, "I see… Do you think they're planning something together?"

"… We shouldn't rule out that option," The Commandant said, staring intensely down at his desk that was cluttered with papers, "the only person I could think of who would do something like that would be Tallis, but since he's here, there's not much of an option for Klipse. Especially if he's still looking to create monsuno experiments."

He leaned back for a moment, debating on what to say. They needed to plan now before Klipse started to make his next move, seeing that he'll most likely act as soon as possible.

"Once we question Tallis, we can launch a search for those three that attacked tonight," Trey said, bringing Jon back into the conversation, "There's a good chance that he might have an idea of what Klipse had been up to before he was taken into custody. That way we can at least have some sort of idea of what to expect."

Jon nodded, and Trey started to leave for the door.

"One moment," Jon said, "Was there… Did Charlemagne ever hate anyone in particular?"

Trey let out a scoff, "Besides me? I doubt it. She was never the talkative type unless it had to do with her detaining monsuno or Chase Suno. Why do you ask?"

There was a pause as Jon let out a sigh. He rose from his seat, looking out the window for a brief moment.

"It was something that she said when I asked about those three, "he said, "she mentioned how they were going after someone else that she 'despised'. Was there anyone that she had a personal vendetta against?"

Trey scratched his cheek in thought.

"… I'm not sure. Though you could try and check her private records. Though they were sealed the second she became Commandant Marshall."

Jon let out a defeated sigh. There was hardly a chance he could find out who she was talking about now. Even if she had been discharged, the leaders of the World Council were very strict with what they kept private. And with a woman like Charlemagne in charge, they would probably like to keep it that way.

"Although," Trey continued, "You could look up an incident report I filled out before I became Commander. It was a few years ago, but I'll admit something changed in her after that…"

Jon looked up with curiosity," What do you mean?"

"Well… She was originally going to retire, but after monsuno broke out in one of the port towns where Core Tech was stationed at the time, she went ahead and stayed in S.T.O.R.M." Trey said, shifting a little, "I filled out the report a few years ago, so the whole thing is a little hazy right now… But there's a good chance that I wrote at least something about what she did during the attack."

"You mean she stopped the monsuno on her own?"

"Eh… I can't really remember…" Trey said awkwardly. Jon watched the commander for a moment. He was probably one of the few left from when Charlemagne was still in charge, so he would know the most about her. And since the record was probably made when Trey was still a soldier, it would still be in the older archives.

"Go get some sleep Commander. You'll need it if your nephew's going to be here for the next few days," Jon said over his shoulder as he turned to look out the window again. He heard the other leave, the door closing behind. The commandant thought for a moment, and figured starting at that incident would be as good as any place to start looking into who this 'other' that Charlemange hates.

Then maybe they could find out what these three from the Hand are really after.

HLP

The walk up to the top of the cloud carrier was a little chilling, but Alpha couldn't tell if that was from the anticipation of a fight or from the tension of the attack earlier. He glanced over to Chase, noting how quiet he was (which was a little odd). Nevertheless, there was one point to this match that he had to see to.

When they got to the top, there weren't a lot of soldiers around, nor were there any the cloud hoppers. Commandant Marshall Ace had probably commanded them to go after those people who attacked earlier, or even Klipse. Decent enough timing for this battle.

"Chase."

The raven-haired teen glanced over, a rather sullen look in his eyes. Alpha hesitated for a moment, but continued.

"This isn't like me, but I'd like to ask anyway. Do you-"

"No I don't want to fight you," Chase interrupted, kicking the ground a little, "I have more important things to deal with then our little rivalry. But since your insistent, I though I ought to humor you."

Alpha raised a brow, "That… Wasn't what I was going to ask you."

"Oh? And what was it you were going to ask?" The other said with a frown. Chase really must've been on edge from the sound of his tone. Alpha took a breath.

"What I was going to say was, do you think you can take on those creepy people from before on you own?" he asked.

Chase raised a brow, "Of course I do. Me and Locke can beat anyone. I can prove it right now."

Alpha watched for a moment as Chase brought out that familiar core, energy inside already buzzing. Alpha couldn't help but think that a little intimidating, if only because of this bond that his rival shared with his monsuno. It was almost as if the red-head was a little jealous...

"No. That's not what I mean," Alpha said, "You may not know this, but me and my squad also saw what those people are capable of. Don't you remember that we were there in that cave with you?"

Chase was silent for a moment, so Alpha continued.

"We were there before you even showed up. This giant… white monsuno showed us the way," he said, looking of to the side, "We didn't even have any time to spin out our monsuno before they attacked."

Now that he was remembering, he doubted they would've gotten out of there if it weren't for Tango's quick thinking of throwing a smoke bomb.

"You guys were probably ambushed," Chase shrugged, "Besides, if we go after them, we'll have the upper hand and the element of surprise. They won't even know what hit 'em!"

Alpha frowned, "This isn't a joke Suno. I'm being serious. Whatever they are, they aren't human. And they don't even need monsuno! I doubt even Locke can stand a decent chance-"

Chase glared at the other, making him go silent. He held up a core, knowing that was an open challenge. Alpha sighed. Looks like he'd need more convincing. He walked a good distance away, and turned around, a yellow core in his palm.

"Tripwire!"

"Locke!"

"Launch!"

The two cores hit, launching bursts of light all across the top deck. The two monsuno roared out before running to clash with each other. They did, and immediately separated to get distance between each other.

"Locke, slam ram!"

Locke grunted before running at the other monsuno. Tripwire immediately jumped, coming down and pouncing on the other as sparks enveloped its body. Chase grit his teeth, clenching his core.

"Jaw of light!"

"Tripwire, roll!"

Locke aimed upward, but was too slow as the yellow monsuno jumped away to the side. It slid a few feet away before it's stray wires grappled onto Locke. It didn't hesitate to send shockwaves at the other.

"Locke!" Chase shouted as both beasts roared. Alpha was hardly paying attention to the fight anymore. Now, he was watching Chase. There was something off about him. There was the slightest waver in his stance, and his fists were shaking.

"Losing confidence, Suno?" the redhead asked, more out loud then out of arrogance. The other teen didn't take it this way, and glared back.

"Locke!"

The monsuno roared, getting to it's feet and stumbling into Tripwire. Even with the power boost that Locke had, Tripwire was surprisingly able to keep up. Alpha had to use this to his advantage. It was now or never.

"Tripwire, to the left!" he exclaimed. The monsuno leapt off the side of the ship, Chase had a look of shock, but quickly commanded Locke to do the same. There was hesitance as Locke ran forward, and quickly came to a halt.

"Locke? Hurry!" Chase said. The monsuno glanced backwards, as if wondering what to do. Within that second, Tripwire jumped up from where it leapt off, clashing into the other. It blasted another beam down, filling the area with light and smoke as it hit. Chase let out a gasp.

He didn't realize it, but the second that Tripwire jumped off, Alpha had been edging closer towards the other teen. It wasn't an honorable move, but neither was the Hand from his experience. And he had to show Chase that.

Just as Chase moved to call out again, Alpha quickly tackled him to the ground, slapping the core out of his hand.

"Gah! Alpha?! What're you-"

The red-haired teen rolled back to his feet, and stopped the core from rolling away by keeping one foot one it before Chase could scoop it up.

"Concede, Suno. You've lost," he said emotionlessly, crossing his arms as he stood. To his surprised, Chase jumped to his feet and pounced at him. The two rolled on the ground for a moment as Chase reached for Locke's core. Alpha was quicker, keeping it in his grasp and away from the raven-haired teen.

"Give. It. Back!" Chase grunted. Alpha didn't waver. Instead, he pushed the other off, and hopped back up. The two eyed each other, slowly waiting for someone to make another move. Alpha stayed in a defensive position, knowing he could easily overpower Chase. Of course his rival also looked like he was willing to fight tooth and nail for his core. Quickly glancing down, Alpha gave a sigh before standing up straight.

"Here," he said simply, tossing the core back. Chase caught it with both hands, a bit surprised he got it back so easily. After a few seconds, he saw why.

"Locke, return."

The monsuno were called back. Fight forgotten as their owners stood silently. Alpha could see that something was troubling the other, and could understand why. It had barely been five minutes, and already Locke needed to be summoned back. Even for a battle like this, that wasn't normal. And even Alpha had to admit, he wasn't using all of his strength. Something was wrong.

Ever since the Hand had been beaten, and Chase and his crew became part of S.T.O.R.M., Alpha had learned that he also had monsuno sight. It wasn't strong, hell, he couldn't even feel it. But he at least knew that it held a special place when making the connection to one's monsuno. And it could easily affect them as well.

"You weren't thinking with a clear head. I could see it from the way you were battling," Alpha said, "You didn't even seem to enjoy it."

"Why would I?" Chase snapped, "I have bigger things to worry about right now! And you're just keeping me here because of 'protocol' or something like that. I really don't care what the Commandant or Commander Trey have to say about this.-"

"Actually," Alpha interrupted, his cheeks gaining a faint blush, "Jinja asked me to talk to you."

There was a look of confusion on the raven-haired teens face, that was soon replaced with guilt, "I… I mean."

"Look here, Suno," Alpha said, walking up to the other, "You may not think it since working here under Commandant Marshall Ace, but your still the leader of your little squad, even if your not calling the shots. They still look to you when they need it. Meaning, you can't just run off on your own when people depend on you!"

"But that's why I have to go!" Chase exclaimed, grabbing the other, "Those people who depend on me… They… I can't lose them again!"

Chase's grip loosened, and he slid down to his knees. Alpha's eyes were wide as he stood watching over the other.

"I… I thought they were finally gone…" he said, shoulders shaking as his hands clenched at the ground, "And tonight they… And I couldn't do anything!"

There was an awkward moment where Alpha wasn't sure what to say. He knew that Chase was passionate about his family, but for him to break down because of them...

He shook his head. Of course it made sense. If he had to choose, Alpha would say the most important thing in his life was his team and his monsuno. If anything were to happen to them, he'd probably lose it too. Still, Chase was being hasty. Which can be dangerous in many ways, especially with people depending on him.

Alpha let out a sigh, then held out a hand to help Chase up. The raven-haired teen glanced up in surprise.

"C'mon. Let's go talk to Commandant Marshall Ace. I'll make sure you can go after them," Alpha said, "That way, you can at least have backup."

Chase raised a brow, and gave a smile. Alpha didn't say anything else as they walked back to the doors to the inside. To be honest, he knew from the damage that those people from the Hand could do, Chase definitely would need the support.

* * *

A/N: Me and beta might be going on hiatus in a month or so. So don't be surprised if it's not updated (though I'll try to keep it posted when we do eventually leave for a little bit)

Review Review Review!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: AAaaand I just realized that Trey was promoted (or demoted?) to Lieutenant. I might go back and change that, but it doesn't really seem important considering everything that's going to be happening (and since he's not actually going to be in the story after this chapter anyway, there's probably no point in changing it.)

Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever for the review!

Enjoy!

* * *

Hargrave was more then a little surprised to see both Klipse and Six show up again at the base in the middle of the night (he was getting used to the peace and quiet for once). He had been left with instructions of how to operate Eklipse since the scientist was taken to S.T.O.R.M., though that was a little hit and miss. Especially considering the retreat he and the psychopath had to have today after encountering the lowlander brat.

Almost immediately, Klipse started his old demands and work towards creating a human-monsuno hybrid, as if he were only gone for a few hours. Six, of course, was quiet. Without missing a beat, the old man started work again, knowing it would only be a matter of time before Klipse tried another plan.

It was barely sunrise before another set of people showed up. At first it seemed like it would be Tallis asking for another collaboration, but instead they were met with three unknown figures cloaked in black. Reluctantly, the butler let them in, and was now standing aside as Klipse introduced himself.

"Why hello there again!" he said in a booming voice, "I hope you didn't have trouble finding my humble abode."

"Of course not," the one leading said, then slipped off their hood. Hargrave was a bit surprised to see it was a young man who was taking charge (but considering Chase Suno was also leading all around for Core Tech, it really shouldn't have surprised him).

"Do you have my cores?" Klipse asked, taking a few steps forward. The teen nodded, and pulled out a handful of red cores. Klipse's eyes lit up immediately.

"So. Will you be assisting us?" the teen asked as he held them out for Klipse. The man scoffed, grabbing the cores and looking down at them.

"I suppose I will," he said, "Especially if it means getting revenge on Chase Suno. And with him out of the way, I can continue my research on creating a perfect monsuno human hybrid!"

Hargrave let out a sigh. He was getting fired up again.

"As long as it's in terms of our agreement, I think we'll manage," the teen said looking to the side. His eyes suddenly locked on the butler, who shivered at the cold gaze. He stared for a rather uneasy amount of time, and seemed to be looking through the old man instead of just at him.

"Anyway. Uh… Ehna was it?" Klipse said, bring his attention back, "We might as well get started on setting things into motion. Wasn't there someone you were looking for at S.T.O.R.M.?"

The teen glanced back to the other two, who immediately walked back towards the other side of the room. The larger merely stood by the entrance while the smaller sat on the ground, and pulled his hood down. Again, Hargrave was surprised to see an even smaller child then Suno running around, though he didn't question it from the menacing presence these three had. The brown haired teen glanced around, almost as if to ignore Klipse for a moment.

"… There's a man by the name of Caligari. He's rather old, probably even dead," Ehna said, walking towards some of the tables that held Klipse's latest research, "But there's a good chance what we're looking for is stored in his old lab. So if you don't find him, we just have to trace his last whereabouts."

Klipse nodded, then motioned to Hargrave. The butler nodded, and walked over towards a set of computers. Since that type of information might not be in public records, he would probably have to hack into S.T.O.R.M.'s. He focused on finding this Caligari person, even though he could feel the eyes of everyone on his back.

"That name does sound a bit familiar," Klipse said after a moment, "I think back when I worked for S.T.O.R.M. actually. If I remember right, he was involved in an incident with-"

"He's alive," Hargrave announced. The two glanced over, watching as a picture of a rather old looking man appeared on the screens, along with an array of documents, "And apparently he's still in S.T.O.R.M.'s custody."

"But _where_ is he?" Ehna asked. The butler went to work on hacking into more of the S.T.O.R.M. database. It was a lot more complicated now that he was in the private records, but that was just a minor setback. Even an old man like him could show some use on a computer.

"… You've been awfully quiet," the teen said, looking over to the smaller. Hargrave glanced over and saw that his legs were drawn up to his chest as he sat against the wall, staring down at the ground with a rather blank stare. The old man shivered. These people hardly seemed normal in any sense of the word. The sooner they got out of here the better.

Getting no response, Ehna turned back. As soon as he did, Hargrave had managed to pinpoint where this 'Caligari' was being kept. It was interesting. He was currently being held in one of S.T.O.R.M.'s lesser known prisons. The teen leaned forward, staring intensely at the screen, taking note of all the details of the location.

"… Alright. I'll head over there now. Shouldn't take too long to collect him," Ehna said, then turned to Klipse, "I'll be sending one of us to get the remaining monsuno energy tanks and bring them back here. I'd imagine that Suno will be quick to search the old hideout we're currently at."

Klipse nodded, "I'm guessing you're asking for some sort of escort to help?"

"We don't need a babysitter," the smaller boy said on the far side of the room, glaring at them. Hargrave scoffed a little.

"You're coming along with me. Don't worry about them," Ehna sighed at him, then glanced back to Klipse, "But yes. If Suno is working with S.T.O.R.M., there's a good chance they'll rip that place apart. The last thing we need is for them to obtain the rest of the monsuno energy and what we've been working on."

"Of course," Klipse said, then looked over to Hargrave. No doubt he wanted the butler and the clone to go along in his stead. Getting up, Hargrave grabbed a few cores before walking over to where Six was.

"Go get your things boy," the old man said. Six stared blankly for a moment, then walked away. He was probably just as hesitant with working with these three. Maybe it was his old age, but the butler certainly didn't think they were up to any good (not that any of them there really were).

Hargrave turned back around, and realized the smaller boy of those strange three was now staring rather intensely at him. He trie to ignore it. The little brat was probably just being curious. Six came back into the room, looking rather disturbed. He walked right past them all and out towards the entrance.

"… Were you two having problems?" Hargrave asked Klipse. The scientist sneered. He didn't like dealing with his clone in a family sense, even though it was necessary. But that could've also been because the two were stuck with each other for the past few months by themselves. Still, they didn't need anymore accidents like with the previous clones.

"Hargrave," Klipse said, "Go get Dom Pyro and go along with these three's instructions. Get that monsuno energy back to the base as soon as possible."

The butler nodded, "Of course. But, what'll you be doing? If I may ask."

"I have a few details to sort out. Especially if I'm getting my monsuno human hybrid army soon!" Klipse replied with a rather sinister smirk. The brown haired teen raised a brow, but didn't say anything. Instead, he walked over to the other two who were still lingering by the doorway.

"Triah. You go with them and make sure you grab the energy and _it,"_ Ehna said, "Exi. You're coming along with me to get the doctor. Don't screw this up."

The smaller boy rolled his eyes, and promptly brought up the hood of his jacket. They started to walk out just as Klipse spoke up.

"One more thing!" he said, watching as the group paused, eyeing each of them, "Know this. If you three even think about trying to turn the tables on me, I won't hesitate to turn you into dust like I did to that other one of you!"

Immediately, the smaller boy growled under his breath and took a step towards the man. Ehna held an arm out to stop him.

"Of course," he said, then turned around, "Just know we're inclined to do the same."

HLP

Trey let out a sigh, walking down the empty hallway as he made his way to one of the questioning rooms. He really just wanted to go get some sleep, but since they finally got Tallis in their custody, and the unfortunate timing of an attack on the cloud carrier, he felt the need to do at least something helpful.

It also didn't help that the conversation with the Commandant left him feeling guilt as he was forced to think about Charlemange.

He definitely believed that his oath to keep the world safe was much more important then her getting demoted, but they certainly didn't leave on good terms. Hell, he could even remember when she was still a decent enough person...

The commander shook his head, trying to forget about the past. Instead, he focused on the door ahead of him that now held the leader of the Forge Resistance behind it. He saluted to the two guards standing by, and entered.

"Hello there Doctor," Trey said, sitting in the other empty chair in the room. A table separated the two, one guard standing by as Tallis sat on the opposite side, "It's good to know that you'll be staying with us now."

"Oh I w-w-wouldn't get ahead of m-m-myself so soon. Commander," Tallis said, "I'm sure it won't take l-long for me to get my p-p-Punk Monks to get me out of here."

Trey watched the man for a second. From the report, the doctor was genuinely caught off guard, and his plans were stopped. He had some sort of device, which they all were hesitant to get a hold of in case it was a wild core bomb. Luckily, it wasn't.

"Before I start questioning, I have to ask," Trey said, "Was there something that you and Klipse were planning before he was detained?"

Tallis paused in thought for a moment.

"No. And that was only t-t-temporary. We may b-be men of science, b-b-but we have different goals in m-m-mind."

"So what did he have on his mind?" Trey continued. Tallis didn't answer, and only stared for a moment.

"W-W-Why would you be so interested in h-him?"

Trey was silent. Trying not to give anything away. Unfortunately, his hesitance seemed to say everything, as Tallis started to laugh.

"Oh my. You lost him, d-d-didn't you?" the doctor said, most likely smirking under his face mask. Trey didn't respond, though he didn't really have to at this point. His pause for a brief few seconds spoke for him.

"I suppose telling you w-w-won't hurt though," Tallis said, then leaned back in his chair, "He's s-s-still probably fixated on m-m-making a human monsuno hybrid. J-j-just like that man J-Jon Ace."

Trey raised a brow. He had forgotten about the incident at one of the S.T.O.R.M. bases that rendered the new Commandant into a rather grotesque being. He, of course, never actually saw this, but had heard from Jeredy about it. How Jon manages to keep his condition in check was beyond him. Still, to know that it was possible for such a creature to be made was disturbing, especially if Klipse could gain such power.

"So he's probably gone back to his old ways," Trey concluded, "Then what have you been up to for the past few weeks? No doubt getting ready for some sort of attack I'd imagine."

Tallis started to chuckle darkly.

"Something like t-t-that," he said, "though I can't say that I w-w-was the one planning things."

Trey narrowed his gaze. There was hardly any big organizations out there that dealt with monsuno that had not been taken down at this point. Sure they now had to worry about Eklipse, but before that it was only the Forge Resistance. Their goal had always been on destroying the world, what other objective could they possibly have? Or was this just a distraction.

"If you aren't the one getting ready for an attack, who is?" Trey asked. Tallis looked away, as if to take note of the room itself. His eyes lingered on the door for just a moment, but he immediately turned back to Trey. He chuckled under his breath before leaning forward.

"You'll just have t-t-to wait and s-s-see!"

The doctor turned away, no doubt finished with their conversation. And forcing the information out of him could easily backfire. Trey sighed, and stood up to leave. There was someone else he could ask, though he'll have to go about it in a different manner.

"… Thanks for the info," he said over his shoulder as he left. Just a few doors down was the other punk monk that they had captured. Trey glanced inside really quick, and entered.

"Why hello there. I bet you weren't expecting to spend your evening here at S.T.O.R.M. were you?" the commander said as he sat down. Across from him in a set of cuffs was the other one that was in charge of the Forge Resistance. A man named Drezz, apparently. He just shrugged.

"… So what were you and the doctor up to?" Trey asked, leaning forward a little, "I know you were probably planning on doing something with the wild core bombs. Planning on going after small towns now?"

Drezz still didn't respond. Trey sighed. This was going to be a long night.

"How about something simple. Why were you in Axistown?"he asked.

"Didn't Dr. Tallis tell you?" Drezz finally said, "Though that might be a little much for him at the moment. We do have a lot going on at the moment."

"We?"

"Yep. We," the other man said, now rocking on the back legs of the chair, "I personally don't like it, but what can you do?"

Trey folded his arms, "And what would that be? Blowing up the whole world? Or taking it over with monsuno?"

"Something more simple actually," Drezz said, glancing around now, "something that can be pointed towards some particular group of people running around in black robes."

Trey gasped, then inwardly kicked himself for showing a reaction. Drezz seemed to think it amusing, and continued on.

"Dunno what those three want, but the doctor liked it," he said, "Worked with them for a little bit, and obviously you can see where that got us. Even the doctor was willing to get caught for them."

Trey felt his stomach dropped. He ran things quickly through his head before Drezz could notice his stunned silence. So those three were working with Tallis before this. And somehow made the deal to get caught? Was this all a trick?

"… Why are you telling me this? Tallis never mentioned it, and I would think you'd be more trusting of what your leader's orders are," Trey reasoned. That much was true. This guy wasn't being as coy as the doctor. Was there really something else that was wrong enough for even the Punk Monks to be hesitant? Drezz shrugged.

"Again, it's simple," Drezz said, looking up with a serious look in his eyes, "Those… Things can't be trusted."

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Me and the beta were working on this and the next four chapters all at the same time. It's typically how we usually write, but it was distracting to come up with new details that didn't have anything to do with more current chapters. Oh well. (that and I kept getting inspired from reading things on tumblr to my beta's dismay)

Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever and monsuno power for the reviews.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chase sat in the seat of the cloud hopper, sun blazing overhead as he and the rest of them flew along towards the ruins of the Hand's old hideout. Clouds fluttered by as they started to descend down towards the plains. He hummed in frustration.

"Chase, stop pouting," Jinja said next to him, "We'll be there soon."

"That's not why I'm frowning," Chase responded, arms folded tightly together as he glanced back at the others.

…

 _"Please Commandant Marshall," Chase pleaded, putting his hands together, "This is really, really, really important to me!"_

 _After their battle, he and Alpha went straight for Commandant Marshall Ace's office. In the past he would've just charged off on his own, not caring about the repercussions and worrying about that later. But it was different now, especially after talking with Alpha. With the help of S.T.O.R.M. he could easily track down the Hand within a few minutes. Much easier then his previous adventures._

 _The problem, however, was that he was still being limited by his rank, something he found silly considering he saved the world multiple times. At least he'd have Alpha to back up his claim if it came down to it._

 _The commandant, however, continued to look down at the papers in front of him, hardly paying much attention to the teen._

 _"... C'mon Jon-"_

 _"Commandant Marshall."_

 _"C'mon Commandant Marshall Ace," Chase said, rolling his eyes a little, " You were there when we fought the Hand of Destiny. You know what they're capable of."_

 _Jon thought for a moment, looking away as he did. It was true that he had helped them take down the Hand of Destiny (even if he was part monsuno at the time). But even he had to think carefully of how to deal with situations now that he was at a higher rank. And if it meant finding out what awaits them in the future, then sending Chase and his friends out wasn't such a bad idea._

 _"And what makes you so sure that it's the Hand that is back," Jon asked with a raised brow, "We all saw Droog and the remaining three sink to the bottom of the ocean. Not a single sign of them afterwards, and I doubt even they were able to get out of there. These three don't seem to have anything to do with the hand seeing that they went after Klipse and your father's research."_

 _Chase let out a frustrated noise, "But that's just it. There were more people involved with the Hand of Destiny!"_

 _He looked back to Chase, seeing nothing but honesty in his eyes. The man let out a sigh._

 _"Alright But on one condition," he said, "you have to bring the Strike Squad with you."_

 _Chase made a face._

 _"Don't be like that. As much as you like going on the offense with your team, there still needs to be at least some control for this situation, especially if it really is the Hand of Destiny that is involved," Jon said, then turned around, "Take one of the cloud hoppers. Make preparations for your mission then take off first thing in the morning."_

 _Chase nodded, then headed for the door. He paused for a brief moment, then glanced back._

 _"Thanks Jon," he said, then ran out the door. Even though the Strike Squad would be there, they were still given the okay to go._

...

After that, he left to go back down to his temporary room, barely getting any sleep. His nerves saw to that. He glanced backwards again, seeing the rest of his team sitting awkwardly with the Strike Squad. Sure they were more friendly at this point, but there always seemed to be some tension when combining the groups. That could've also been because Charlemagne picked them all to be the perfect opposing forces.

"So what's this place even like?" Alpha asked as he steered the ship down past the clouds, "you never even said what it looked like."

"Well… It's dark," Bren shrugged, "Though that might be different considering we blew up the whole place during the fight."

"If you destroyed it, what's the point of even checking?" Bravo asked, "Y'all have the tendency to destroy everything you come into contact with anyway."

"Oi. We can't help that. Especially if the situation calls for monsuno," Dax said. Jinja glared openly at the both of them.

"That's the only place the Hand of Destiny has ever been," Chase said, looking out the window, "They would have nowhere else to go. I doubt that there's anywhere for them _to_ go."

Alpha scoffed a little, "We'll see."

The ship landed easily atop a cliff that overlooked the whole ruins. They piled out, half admiring how the buildings were now half flattened.

"Now I really doubt anyone is still here. This place has been completely leveled out," Kilo said.

"Might as well be sure," Tango said, then started to walk down one of the pathways. They all followed, though Chase kept his eyes out for anything suspicious, which wasn't too hard. Not even the wildlife came near the place.

The walk was quiet, mostly because of how tense they all were. Or maybe that was just Chase. He and everyone else glanced down some of the still standing streets and walkways, being mindful of every small movement that was made. They were about halfway across the ruins towards the main entrance of the cavern that lead to the Well of Insight before Alpha stopped them.

"… What's wrong?" Jinja asked.

"Me and my squad will be going in alone," he said, motioning to the rest of them to follow.

"Woah woah woah. This was Chase's idea, why are you guys going?" Bren asked.

"The Commandant put Alpha in charge," X-Ray said back, "And since he thinks it's for the best, you all ought to listen. He's the one calling the shots right now."

Chase frowned. When did Alpha talk to Jon? And why would he even bother...

"Well. Since it is orders, we might as well just hang out here," Jinja shrugged as the Strike Squad started to make their way to the tunnel. Chase really wanted to say something, but knew if the others were willing to listen, then he'd have a hard time convincing them to back him up.

They watched as the Strike Squad marched towards the entrance. Chase let out a sigh, and turned to the rest of them.

"I guess we just stay here and wait I guess," Bren said, walking over towards one of the still standing buildings and stood in the shade. The others shrugged and followed suit.

With everyone else also deciding to wait, Chase felt conflicted. He wanted to make sure that the Hand wasn't back with his own eyes. Sure he knew that those hooded people were alive, but what if Petros or the others actually survived somehow? They've done it before after all.

And what if this time they weren't just after him and his monsuno sight. What if they're after something more important, like the original monsuno, or something stronger?

Chase shook his head, foot tapping impatiently as he ran through his thoughts over and over again. He was trying to get peace of mind, but it mostly made him anxious. He kept glancing towards the ruins where the entrance was as well, hoping to see Alpha or the other Strike Squad members to appear. If they were taking their time, it sure wasn't helping his nerves.

"Arg! Where could they be?" Chase huffed, " There's no other place the Hand could be hiding at, so they should be here somewhere."

"Maybe they went out to lunch," Bren joked. Chase didn't bother saying anything to him, and kicked at the ground. Did they move their base somewhere else? In which case he would be out of luck on finding them...

The group watched as Chase started to pace back and forth in an unease fashion. He couldn't sit down, and since none of them wanted to say anything helpful, he kept his own mouth shut.

"C'mon Chase. It hasn't been that long," Jinja said, quickly glancing around to the rest of them, "Just be patient."

He didn't stop. The clouds were starting to clutter the sky even more, and would probably fill the air within the next hour. He looked up every few minutes, waiting for some sort of sign that something was going on.

He let out a frustrated noise, running his hands through his hair.

"We should just take a small peek," he reasoned, "It's not like it'd hurt anyone."

Jinja made a face at him.

"… I do have to agree though," Dax said after a moment, "sitting on our hands and doing nothing isn't exactly relaxing."

Jinja looked at him, putting her hands on her hips, "You heard X-Ray. We can't exactly go against Jon Ace's orders. The last thing we need is to be getting in trouble. Especially if the Hand is back and we need to be ready for them. What if they are out somewhere and happen to come back while the Strike Squad's in there?"

Dax held his hands up in defeat, making Bren snicker a little.

"... Perhaps we can try another method," Beyal said thoughtfully. Without another word, he walked over to the side of the nearby ruins and sat down. Chase raised a brow.

"Oh I know where this is going," Bren sighed, getting glares from both Jinja and Dax. Chase shook his head, and sat beside the monk. He was uneasy, and kept his gaze to the ground. The monk was probably trying to sooth him, but he doubted that staying still and thinking about it more would help.

"Don't worry Chase. I'm sure the answer will come to you in time. Just be patient," Beyal said when he saw the down expression Chase had. The other nodded, and the two closed their eyes.

Chase could still hear the rest of them saying something to each other, but tried not to listen. He felt a twitch in his eye, and wanted to scratch his back every other second.

"… Just focus on your monsuno," Beyal said to him. Chase cracked an eye towards the other, seeing how the white-haired teen cradled his own core in one hand. Taking a steady breath, Chase grabbed Locke's core, and let his eyes close once more.

He could hear the wind blowing faintly, and let his body stay completely still as the others probably watched or waited for the Strike Squad to come back. Casting the worrying thoughts he had, Chase focused on his breathing and warmth of Locke's core, letting his body relax as his mind roamed free.

HLP

The cavern where the Hand of Destiny used to be at was actually rather dark, despite what team Core Tech said about it. While the ceiling had been blasted away, foliage was growing over it, as if to conceal the place once again. Tango couldn't help but think that strange. After what was probably ten or fifteen minutes, the five of them had reached the inner part, which was now completely empty.

"So what're we looking for exactly?" Bravo asked.

"Some sort of sign that someone has been here," Alpha said, walking over to the large hole in the middle of the cavern, "I doubt we'll find anything. But it'll give Chase some peace of mind at least."

X-Ray scoffed a little, "What a waste of time."

The five of them split off, scoping out the place from top to bottom. Tango walked towards one of the farther walls, noting how bars were built into it. She shivered at the thought of people being kept here. Once when she visited the garden atop the Cloud Carrier, she spoke to Mrs. Suno a little bit about her past. The woman had lived in a port city where Core Tech was once stationed until she was abducted and brought here. The thought of being kept in such a small dark place for so long left Tango feeling a chill up her spine.

She glossed her fingers across the rusted lock of the door before turning back to the center of the room. She walked up to the edge of the hole, glancing inside and looking at how deep it was. Maybe it was because of how dark it was in the cave, but she couldn't even see the bottom.

"Nothing over here!" Kilo shouted from the other side of the cavern.

"Nor here!" Bravo exclaimed from above as he walked along some of the formations.

"And nothing here!" X-Ray said, kicking at some of the rocks, "Can we go yet, Alpha? S.T.O.R.M. was here weeks ago anyway. I doubt they would've forgotten something."

Alpha, who was standing towards the entrance, let out a defeated sigh, "I guess. Is there any other rooms or tunnels around here?"

The rest of them regrouped towards the center of the room, debating where to look next. Tango, however, was still looking down the hole. She had the strangest feeling when looking towards it, as if she'd fall in at any moment...

"… Woah there!"

A hand suddenly grabbed her arm. She winced a little, and looked over to see Bravo giving her a look.

"… You okay there?" he asked. Tango blinked, then looked back to see she was one step away from walking into the small chasm. Immediately, she shrunk away from the edge.

"… Yeah," she said a bit faintly, then looked back to the rest of them, "What're we doing?"

Alpha raised a brow, but his expression soon turned to horror.

"Everyone get down!"

Tango was yanked down by Bravo as something went flying overhead. It crashed into the wall behind them, and they were all left speechless as they tried looking into the shadows to see where it came from. Giggling erupted throughout the cavern.

"Show yourself!" Alpha shouted.

 _"Just look at the little_ _mouseys! So loud they are!"_

The team grabbed their cores, waiting for the first sign of movement. Luckily they didn't have to wait long. Out of the shadows stepped two figures. Tango immediately recognize one of them from the incident at her old home city.

"I guess Klipse was right to send us here," the old man said, "What a pain these children are."

Another man jumped out from above, startling the group.

"I think it's perfect!" he said, "More fighting for my pretty pretty!"

"Is that a challenge?" Alpha boasted. The three didn't reply, and brought up their cores.

Tango shrank back a little at the feeling she was getting here. Not from the three standing on the other side, but something more… ominous.

Suddenly, the ground started to shake violently. Everyone had a hard time standing as the ceiling started to crack at the motions.

"W-What's going on?" Klio exclaimed. X-Ray immediately pulled a small device out and started to furiously tap away.

"… Seismic waves are g-generating from b-b-below us. But it isn't an earthq-q-quake," he stuttered out, "It's m-monsuno energy!"

Whatever was going on didn't phase the other three on the other side, who were also struggling to stand. It didn't look like they were about to back down either.

"Dactyl!"

"Serno!"

"Bronto!"

"Launch!"

The group of teens didn't waver.

"Strike Squad, Launch!"

All the cores collided, and flashes of light filled the cave. The quaking didn't stop, even as the monsuno glared menacingly, just waiting to tear each other apart. Another tremor shook throughout the room, and the monsuno took off.

"Tripwire, Tail Barrage!"

"Serno, Bone Bayonet!"

"Deadfall, Elemental Blaze!"

The cavern walls easily collapsed from the blasts by the monsuno. It was even harder to see once the dust started to cloud all around them. Tango stumbled for a moment when she couldn't see anyone, not even their enemies. That feeling from before was also creeping up on her, and she started to tread around.

"Hurry! Go back a little Warwing!"

She turned towards Kilo's voice, still unable to make anything out besides the light from the monsuno battle. She knew it was unwise to go near it, but she still had no idea where anyone was.

"Alpha? X-Ray? Where are you guys?" she asked frantically, "Ironjaw? Are you there?"

There wasn't even a response form her monsuno. Did she wander too far away? Another quake, and she stumbled over something, falling to the ground. She looked up towards the light that was still pouring from the ceiling, barely illuminating the room now that it was being filled with dust and smoke.

"… Oh no."

She griped onto her core. The ground shaking. The roaring and wordless shouting. Of all times, why did she have to remember _that_ day now? She felt her throat tighten, and her stomach clench.

"… Get it... Together…!" she huffed to herself, getting to her knees. It didn't work. Her body was still freezing up from her last memory of her home city. It didn't help that they visited it not to long ago either., bringing up those bad memories. She tried not to hyperventilate, but with the room becoming clouded, it was getting harder and harder to breath.

"Tango, look out!"

She turned, watching as a blast of red came at her, unable to react fast enough.

HLP

 _It was silent for a few seconds, the voices of their group moving further and further away. After a moment of nothing, Beyal slowly opened his eyes._

 _He blinked a little, realizing he hadn't moved from his spot, which he found a little odd for some reason. As soon as he stood up to find the others, he noticed that everything was off. The sky was dark, and everything seemed to be hazy, as if there was smoke or dust in the air. Did he doze off for too long?_

 _"…Beyal?"_

 _He looked over, and saw Chase walking towards him, "What's going on? Where are we?"_

 _"What do you mean? Did something happen?" Beyal asked. Chase shook his head._

 _"No. I'm… Not sure what happened actually. Or where the others are for that matter," Chase admitted, scratching his head as he looked around. This was going to make things complicated. Not only did they fail to get any visions, but the others were nowhere in sight._

 _"So… What do we do?" the raven-haired teen asked. Beyal looked around, and shrugged. Chase let out a sigh, then turned to one of the walkways._

 _"I guess we can just keep going," he said, "We ought to find the others. Maybe the Strike Squad found something and everyone went to go check."_

 _The two of them were careful as they made their way along the deserted paths. There was something more ominous about these ruins_ _without anyone else there._ _Beyal came to a stop as he watched the sky for a moment, staring at the way it was unnaturally darkened._

 _"… I don't think we're awake," he said. Chase turned to him with a raised brow._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _"I… think we're still dreaming," the monk responded._ _There was a good chance they were sharing a vision at the moment, but even that was a little strange. The only time that happened was when the Hand of Destiny was trying to reach them in their dreams. Was it because they were close to the Well of Insight?_

 _"… Maybe there's a reason we were brought here," Beyal suggested. Chase didn't respond, and the monk glanced over to him. He saw the raven-haired teen's eyes were wide with surprise. Beyal followed his gaze, and saw why. A shadowed figure stood on the far side, staring at them. Laughter started to fill the air as piercing green eyes fixated on the two._

 _"Oh Chase!" A familiar voice purred after the laughter quieted down. The two of them flinched, seeing those eyes flicker. Beyal let out a gasp, realizing why it sounded so familiar as the figure's outline started to become clearer as they came closer. Before he could react, Chase had grabbed the monk's arm and started pulling him along, a string of giggles following them as they ran._

 _"Chase. Do you know who that is?" Beyal asked._

 _"I think I have a good idea," the other replied, "If I remember right, she's also one of those people from before."_

 _Laughter rang throughout the ruins._

 _"But… She sounds like-"_

 _"It's not her," Chase interrupted, looking ahead of them, "Trust me. It's not..."_

 _Beyal saw the serious look in Chase's eyes, and knew not to ask questions. They were running for what felt like forever, her voice chasing far behind them._

 _"W-Where are we going?" Beyal asked. It was a bit redundant to try and run away in this place without actually knowing if they could get away. The monk wasn't even sure if that… Person, could actually hurt them here. It was better to be safe or sorry he supposed._

 _"I… I don't know," Chase admitted, "But is there anyway that we can maybe shock ourselves awake? This isn't real after all."_

 _Beyal had a thoughtful expression, and looked forward towards the end of the pathway they ran towards as he silently weighed their options._

 _"Well… I guess we could-"_

 _"Get down!" Chase whispered, pulling Beyal down so they were tucked behind a wall. Shadows glossed over the ground and walkways as a woman in white treaded by. Beyal felt his breath hitch as he saw the familiar long brown hair. He could feel Chase tense up as she turned towards their direction, green eyes locked in a piercing gaze. Luckily, she didn't see them, though they didn't dare to move. After a tense few seconds, she walked away._

 _"Where are you Chase?" she asked, "I know you want to see me!"_

 _Chase turned away, keeping himself flat against the wall they were hidden behind._

 _"… How is she even here?" he asked quietly. Beyal could see this was bothering him to the point that his hands were starting to shake._

 _"Who is she exactly? " the monk asked, glancing over the corner they were behind to see if she was gone yet. Chase seemed hesitant to answer. It was only after they were sure she was gone did he respond._

 _"She's one of those… Experiments from the Hand of Destiny," he said in a hushed tone, "I think her name was Tesserah. Whatever the Hand did to her, made her look like my mom."_

 _""Come on out Chase!" she shouted in the distance, "Don't you miss me?!_

 _The two slipped away down another corridor, careful as to not alert her. They kept going until they were sure they were a good distance away, panting from how quickly and silently they ran._

 _"Why are we running from her? I don't think she could actually hurt us here," Beyal said, glancing back down the dark corridor they came from. If this really was just a dream, then interacting with her shouldn't be a problem,_ _"She might not even be real. She could be a projection made by your subconscious."_

 _"Oh. Of course," Chase sighed deeply with a frown. It didn't look like he believed that. Beyal never actually found out what happened to this person, but whatever occurred during the incident with the original monsuno definitely had an effect on Chase. Everytime the woman called out to him, the other teen flinched and got nervous._

 _The raven-haired teen slumped to the ground against one of the walls nearby. He glanced back towards the corridor where m_ _ore hysterical shouting was heard._

 _"She's completely crazy," Chase said._

 _"Why is that?" Beyal asked._

 _"I… I think it has something to do with whatever the Hand did to her and the rest of those… experiments," Chase concluded, "Maybe there's a way to beat her if we figure it out."_

 _Chase stood up and looked down the opposite walkway, then turned to Beyal, who was shuffling his feet uncomfortably._

 _"… What?"_

 _"Well… We're not here to do that," the monk said, "We're here to figure out what they're after. If anything, we should be asking her things."_

 _Chase crossed his arms in thought, "Good point… But how're we going to corner her? We don't even have monsuno here…"_

 _The two stood there silently. They could still here Tesserah yelling in the distance, which meant they had at least some time. There was a faint boom from where her voice came from. She was getting violent._

 _"Beyal," Chase said, glancing back towards the way they came from, "Keep going. I want to talk to her by myself."_

 _"What?!" the monk exclaimed, "B-But… Are you sure you can?"_

 _Chase clenched his fists, "… If what you said about her just being an illusion made from my mind is true, then I'm the only one who can make her go away. And if things start going south I don't want you getting caught up in it."_

 _Even though the other was resolute about taking action, Beyal was now a bit hesitant towards actually letting him go on his own. Although there was the chance that she was just made from Chase's mind, that could easily work against him if he doesn't think clearly. And from the way his hands shook and his eyes flickers, he might not be able to do it._

 _One of the ruins on the far side collapsed. She was getting close. They waited a minute as it grew eerily silent. There was no telling where she could be._

 _"Now!" Chase exclaimed, then took off where the building collapsed. Beyal watched as Chase vanished into the shadows. A part of him knew that if this woman really was made from his mind, then Chase would have to face her alone. But if she wasn't..._

 _He shook his head. Here it was hard to tell what was real or not. And what about everyone else in the real world? If that woman was really here, then what if there were more people from the Hand just waiting around._

 _Beyal let out a sigh, then sat down on the side of the path. Maybe he could still try to get a vision here that could help direct them. After all, they still needed to find out what the rest of the Hand of Destiny was up to._

 _Unfortunately, he was so caught up in his thoughts, he failed to notice the shadows all around him getting larger._

* * *

A/N: It wasn't clear whether Dragonburn died or whatever, so if anything just assume Klipse gave him a temporary core/more powerful one to combat Chase and crew's new hyper cores.

Review Review Review!


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: _This was a little hard trying to write in different perspectives, especially for characters we hardly get to see in the show. Regardless, it is necessary for plot reasons (and because having more perspectives is helpful)._

 _Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, KaimelartheDreamer, and monsuno power for the reviews!_

Beta notes: that first part was actually written a few days ago before Herpalerp decided to take a break. I had to take the helm for some of this chapter after he got discouraged and stepped back, so here I am to finish the chapter.

I hope it satisfies!

* * *

Jinja stood by the group, watching the distance where the Strike Squad had left towards. She glanced back to see Dax leaning against the wall in the shade as Bren sat cross-legged on the ground, half watching Chase and Beyal. He had a bit of a faraway look, which probably meant he was thinking of something else. Jinja guessed it was of a certain raven-haired girl.

She half wanted to ask what the other girl was up to in Bren's room the other night, but even she knew that they all could use some privacy. She sighed a bit at that last thought, remembering one of the recent letters she had gotten a few days ago from her parents. There was a lot of unresolved feelings, though the last time she visited she was able to explain a lot to them. Still, one of the these days she wanted to go back and visit again, just to be clearer.

"… Oi, Princess," Dax said, snapping her out of the daze she was in.

"What?"

Dax crossed his arms, "So… Why'd you agree with Alpha on sticking around out here? I would think you'd side with Little Suno over there."

"I don't exactly have to explain myself do I?" she said, frowning at him, "But if you must know, it was for Chase's own good."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the lowlander asked. Jinja sighed.

"Call it an old friend's intuition, but him running around on his own would be the last thing we'd need."

That much was true. She could see the way Chase wanted to go after the remaining few of the Hand of Destiny with a passion. And whenever he got like that, he tended to forget about everything else that was going on. It happened a lot when they were looking for his father within those first few months. Usually he'd forget to eat, or stay up all night trying to find another clue that could lead them to the next location. He had good intentions, but were a bit misplaced considering he should've really been taking care of himself.

Suddenly, the whole ground shook violently. They all let out surprised yelps as the nearby buildings started to crumble away immediately.

"W-what's going on?!" Bren exclaimed. There was loud boom in the distance, and they all quickly turned to see the old hideout of the Hand burst into a cloud of dust, followed by roaring. His question was answered by a frantic beeping coming from his backpack. He reached in and found the core tablet going off. He tapped at the screen as a dizzying amount go numbers appeared.

"… What's going on Glasses?"

Bren kept his eyes focused on the small screen as more sounds could be heard from the cave. Jinja immediately recognized the noise.

"Sounds like monsuno!" she said, reaching for a core. Her first thought was the Hand, but it could've easily been anyone or anything.

"No! It's monsuno energy!" Bren exclaimed, "At least with the shaking. I don't know where it's coming from, but waves of it are going through the ground right now!"

"Well is it going to stop soon?" Dax asked. Bren looked down again, eyes darting along the screen.

"… I don't know," he said. A yellow blast came through the ground, most likely where the cavern containing the Well of Insight was. The three of them stood still, waiting for something else to happen as they heard the fighting in the distance. Another blast came through, this one red.

"It looks like they're going to need our help," Dax said, holding up a core as well. Jijnja glanced back to him, but stopped when she realized something.

"We can't," Jinja said, "Well. Not yet. Not with Chase and Beyal still out of commission."

They all glanced back at the two, who hadn't budged at all despite all the shaking.

"Well… What do we do then?" Bren asked, frustrated. Unfortunately, he got his response as one of the buildings further down the path they were on collapsed in a pile of rubble. They all stood still as a figure in black walked out. Bren gulped. He didn't seem to notice them right away, and the three of them exchanged looks before taking a hold of their cores.

"Whipper!"

"Boost!"

"Longfang!"

"Launch!"

The three cores hit some of the rocks nearby, and their monsuno stood between them and the figure. He turned to them, but didn't make any sudden movements. They were all a good distance away from each other, so it was hard to tell if the guy was hesitating or thinking of his next move.

" _You three!_ " he shouted in a raspy voice, " _What are you doing here?! You better leave before I make you!_ "

Jinja felt a cold shiver run down her spine. There was something wrong with this guy that left her feeling cold. He didn't look like the one that she and Chase had met in the ruins before, but since that guy could turn into anyone, she wasn't about to take any chances. He stood there watching them, but the group wasn't about to turn tail now. Not with the Strike Squad fighting on their own. Nobody made a move until there was another explosion in the distance.

"Whipper, Sonic Blast!"

The monsuno surged forward, mane lighting up as it launched a beam towards the man. It struck the ground, but most likely missed. Sure enough, the guy had leapt into the air, and came down on the monsuno with a wide kick.

"Boost, Tracer Assault!"

The other monsuno took off towards the end of the path, followed close behind by Longfang. Whipper made a small noise, and turned as the figure ran towards the approaching monsuno.

"Longfang! Wait a moment to strike!" Bren shouted. Sure enough, Boost went in for an attack, and missed as the figure dodged in a flash, now aiming for the group of teens. Longfang let out a whine as it charged at the guy. With one sift movement, it launched him into the air.

The man, however, didn't seem to think anything of it, and instead look further down the path at the teens. Jinja shivered, feeling the stare, even under that hood. His posture seemed to change, and he now fixated on them. Jinja glanced to the side, and realized he had probably seen Chase.

Longfang and Boost both followed, jumping up as the guy flipped in the air.

"Bren."

The brown haired teen looked over to Jinja, who was clutching onto her core tightly, "Go get Chase and get out of here!"

"W-what?"

"There's a good chance that these people are going to come after Chase. The last thing we need is him getting taken by these guys when he can't fight back!"

That much was true. There was no telling if that was what these people wanted, seeing that they came to the cloud carrier last night and didn't even bother to go after the teen. Still, the last time they had encountered these cloaked figures, two of them were actively trying to capture Chase (even though that could've just been because of the monsuno seals).

"I have to agree with the princess on this one," Dax said, then turned back, "Boost, Omni Blades!"

Bren hesitated, and glanced back. He was probably worried about leaving them all behind to fight alone. There was no telling if they even stood a chance. Not to mention whatever the Strike Squad was fighting at the moment.

"Bren. Go. We'll all be right behind you!" Jinja said, stance wavering as the three monsuno continued to thrash about, trying to score a hit. The man didn't seem to think much about them, and continued to toss the monsuno around as if they were nothing. At this point, all they could do was buy time for Chase.

Jinja turned to the other two, "Hurry up Bren. And go with him Dax. Take Beyal with you."

"Wait. You're not thinking about facing this guy alone are you?" Dax exclaimed, "He doesn't even have any monsuno and he's still keeping up with us!"

Longfang was thrown off into one of the nearby piles of rubble. Boost and Whipper both charging at the man before he could turn around to face the group of teens. The fight was getting closer and closer to the small group. Jinja watched for a moment, stealing a glance at the man's face below the hood. There was an unnatural green gleam to them, especially when they locked onto the two sitting a few feet away.

"It doesn't matter," she said, gripping her core, "I'm not about to let them hurt Chase or Beyal when they're still-"

Boost let out a hiss, and jumped at the man. He moved too quickly, and Boost went flying into Longfang instead. The man then turned to the teens on the far side of the road. Jinja grabbed another core without hesitating.

"Charger, launch!"

The monsuno burst from the core and collided with the man before he could get near. Charger slammed the two of them into one of the ruins, followed by Whipper.

"But Jinja, I don't think you can take on a guy who's basically Toxic Jon Ace," Bren said, "Let's just wake Chase and Beyal up. I think they would rather fight then run anyway."

"I really doubt that's an option Glasses," Dax said, "nothing can wake 'em up. You can try Chase, but monkfish won't anytime soon."

Jinja frowned at that last part. Why did these visions have to last for so long?

The monsuno cluttered around Charger as the man continued to fight them off. With one wide punch, he slammed Charger into the opposite building.

"Whipper, get us some cover!"

The monsuno let out a shrilled sound, and launched a blast towards one of the taller structures nearby. It crashed to the ground, dust filling the area.

"Go now before he sees!" Jinja shouted. She didn't leave them time to protest, and ran forward, "Charger, Power Bash!"

The monsuno roared, and rammed further into the the ruins. She heard the other two call their monsuno towards them, and knew they would follow what she said. Even thought what they were doing would be against what Chase would do, they all knew it was for the best.

She leapt onto Whipper, and ordered another attack just as the other two bolted past her and the battle, taking Chase and Beyal with them.

HLP

The cavern was filled with dust and explosions. One of the blasts hit one of the upper formations, causing some of it to come crumbling down at the Strike Squad. A couple of them were knocked to their feet. X-Ray grit his teeth, getting up as he rubbed his head where he fell. He could hardly make out anyone nearby.

"Oh great," he mumbled to himself. He stayed low to the ground as he got to his feet, careful as to not give away his location. One of the few things that he was taught at S.T.O.R.M. was how to win a fight, and not just a monsuno fight. Tactics often included being sneaky, and making sure one had the upper hand against any enemy.

The problem, however, was that training was much different then the real thing.

He bumped into someone and jumped a little. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was just Bravo.

"Oh good it's just you," the blonde said in relief, "I thought you were the creepy dude.

"Which one?" X-Ray joked a little, then looked around, "Where's everyone?"

"Dunno, but- Get down!"

The two ducked down as something went flying overhead. It crashed into the far wall, and when they looked, the two of them could see it was Tango's monsuno.

"Tango look out!"

X-Ray turned, seeing a faint light of red. As the dust cleared enough, he could see Tango kneeling on the ground. Why wasn't she moving? Luckily, Kilo managed to pull her out of the way a few seconds before the blast could hit. Unfortunately, it was still making way towards the other two.

"Oh crag."

The two made a hopeful leap to the side, the blast narrowly avoiding them and hitting the back wall where Ironjaw was. There was a flash of yellow, and it was summoned back.

"You guys okay?" Bravo asked as they ran over. Kilo nodded, though Tango didn't respond. If anything, she didn't seem to hear the question at all. X-Ray immediately knew it was out of some sort of shock.

"Where's Alpha?" Kilo asked. The three of them glanced around, trying to see through the clouds around them. The monsuno continued to fight, though they could hardly tell who was winning. One of the nearby pillars collapsed, and they all scrambled out of the way.

"It's getting dangerous in here," X-Ray said, "And the monsuno battle isn't the only thing we have to worry about."

"What do you mean?" Bravo asked. The brown-haired teen typed on one of his devices, brining up the seismic readings form before.

"It looks like this earthquake thing isn't going to let up," he said, "And the last thing we need is to be stuck in here when it gets higher then 7!"

The other two nodded, and started looking around. Kilo was the first to spot his monsuno, and immediately called it back to its core. Alpha could be heard somewhere nearby, but it was hard to tell where.

X-Ray frowned a bit. Their leader was probably looking for a fair challenge (not that he'd get one here). He was problematic like that.

"Oh my! Look at the little mousyes!"

They all turned to see someone standing a few feet away, and monsuno behind them. It roared before running at them. Bravo was the first to react.

"Deadfall!"

Out of the smoke came the yellow monsuno, stopping the other beast before it could come close.

"You guys make a run for it!" Bravo said, "I'll grab Alpha and we'll be right behind you."

"Are you kidding? There's no way you can take on three at once," Kilo said, "At least not in all this chaos."

X-Ray frowned, and looked over to Tango again. She was still shaking, which meant she was in no condition to be fighting. And they couldn't just leave Alpha and Bravo behind. Not with these weirdos from Eklipse attacking (and knowing Alpha, he'd want to question them as well).

"I'll stay," X-Ray said, "Me and Bravo can get Alpha and get out of here before the whole thing comes down. You can get Tango out of here."

Kilo seemed to want to protest, but didn't. Instead, he slung one of Tango's arms around his shoulder and went for the nearest opening out.

X-Ray and Bravo turned back to the fighting. With the three of them, they should easily be able to get out with enough time to spare. Though Suno will probably be happy knowing that something was going on in this place.

HLP

The office was quiet for the most part. Of course, that could've been because the only ones present at the moment were Jeredy and Jon Ace. A few of the boxes from the late night move were still cluttering the desk and floor. The doctor let out a sigh.

"What is it?" Jon asked.

"… Well… I've been holed up here all night. Trying to figure out what it was that those three took," Jeredy started, glancing around the room.

"… And? Is it too soon to find out?"

Jeredy shook his head, "It's not that. It's just… I've been here instead of talking to Chase. He seemed upset last night after he left…"

That much was true. Jeredy was a bit of a hermit when it came to his work. While working with others could help, he just found it more productive to be on his own. There was a part of him that hated that, if only because he was usually leaving everyone else behind...

He shook his head, "Anyway. I did manage to find out what it was that they took."

"Really? What was it?" Jon asked. Jeredy pulled a few papers up and held them out for the commandant.

"It's actually really strange. They took the files containing the energy levels of when the S.T.O.R.M. base blew up a long time ago. The one where you… Well. Turned toxic."

Jon paused for a moment, but didn't look up. Jeredy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. It had taken him a long time of finally curing the man, but… He couldn't truly find the cure to make him normal again. If anything, he only bought the man some time, which was something that he was reluctant to mention to Chase and his friends.

"… Has there… Been any changes?" Jeredy asked. Jon continued to look down at the papers.

"… Are you still taking your medicine?"

Again, no response.

"… Can you spin out monsuno yet-"

"Jeredy," Jon interrupted, eyes moving up in a glare, "Drop it. I'm fine right now. Besides, we have more important matters at the moment."

The doctor stared, then let out a sigh. He had little doubts that Jon was just avoiding the conversation all together, but the issue about his condition was always a sensitive issue. Especially now that Klipse was out and probably plotting on putting some unsuspecting victim through the same thing.

"So what do you think they're planning?" Jon asked, getting them back on track. Jeredy put a thumb to his lip.

"I think there's a likelihood that they're going to try and recreate an even that is similar. There's no telling is it would be as successful, but we shouldn't take that chance. Not now that they have the more unstable monsuno energy in their possession."

Jon handed back the papers. Jeredy took them, and stopped when he saw the knowing look in Jon's eyes.

"… What is it?"

"There's… something else," he said, "Last night. It seems that those three were spotted down in the prison hold by none other then Charlemagne."

Jeredy raised a brow.

"She's didn't outright tell me. But call it an intuition," Jon continued, "Apparently, they're going after someone else."

"Who?"

The commandant, reached inside his pocket, pulling out a slip of paper that was folded a few times and handing to the other. Jeredy hesitated for a moment, but took it anyway.

"It's someone from her past. A scientist that was working in the old port side city where she lived. He was involved with an attack on one of the Core Tech bases there."

Unfolding the small paper, Jeredy skimmed over it quickly. It was some sort of report, though it was a bit on the unkept side. He let out a gasp when he saw the date and location. Over a decade ago where he also used to live with his family. He tried to recall that day based on the description.

A base bursting into flames after a monsuno got out… Half of the district on fire… A yellow monsuno…

 _Rage._

He read on. Whoever wrote the report got more detailed when it described how the monsuno was subdued. One of the soldiers had managed to command it to stand down, but without the core technology back then, the monsuno most likely got away.

 _Fear._

The monsuno had gotten out of the lab thanks to one of the scientist setting it free. Apparently, he used it as a diversion to try and steal files and flee. There was a list under the description of the scientists who were all stationed in the lab at the time, though the name of the one who caused the incident wasn't labeled. Jeredy couldn't help but think that strange.

 _A woman with a fierce stare, fixated as the surrounding area was alit in red. She held out a hand._

 _"You will obey me! I command you to follow my orders!"_

"… Jeredy?"

The doctor snapped out of his daze, and look up. He shook his head.

"Sorry. Got lost in thought there for a moment," he said. Was he daydreaming? And who was that woman? She seemed familiar...

"Anyway," Jon continued, "I ran that list of researchers and found a few matches in the S.T.O.R.M. data base. The most likely candidate is being held in the maximum security prison at the moment, though I think I'll schedule a visit just to be on the safe side."

Jeredy nodded, "So, who is it-"

Suddenly, one of the alarms started going of. Jeredy quickly ran over towards the screen, typing up a few calculations as numbers and maps started popping up.

"What is it doctor?" Jon asked, looking as well and trying to make sense of it all. Jeredy stopped for a moment, then let out a gasp.

"… It's an earthquake!" he replied, "And it looks like it's where Chase and the rest of them were heading."

The two of them watched as the magnitude started to rise, which made him think this wasn't a natural occurrence. Silently, Jeredy pushed in a few notes, and found the answer.

"It's monsuno energy. There was a pocket of it that was suddenly released just now. The instability of it triggered an earthquake," he said. Without another word, Jon left out the door, probably to send out troops to that area.

Jeredy stayed behind, keeping his eyes on the data and maps. The chances of it being caused by the monsuno energy below the earth was slim. There was no way it could get past his grid system. And this wasn't the first time that monsuno energy had affected the nearby area.

He leaned back. There was also the fact that it was near the old base of the Hand of Destiny. The last time they were there, a similar occurrence happened. What were the chances of it just happening to do the same thing?

"Doctor," Jon said as he reentered, "I just told Trey to go pick them up. He's going with a couple of troops just in case."

Jeredy glanced over and nodded. He turned back to the computer monitor. What did his son get into this time? Even though he should've been more worried about that, there was a part of his mind that was still fixated on those images he saw of the woman's eyes.

* * *

A/N: _Review Review Review!_


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: _Enjoy!_

Beta notes: Herpalerp's still out of comish at the moment. He'll be back in a week or so.

Again, hope this satisfies (i only had a few of his notes to work with)

* * *

It had been a few minutes since they left Jinja to fight, and both Dax and Bren were tense. Dax tried not to show it as much, believing that the red-haired girl could hold that guy back long enough for the Strike Squad to get out the base. He felt the urge to run back and help, but knew that'd be a dumb move considering how hidden they were at the moment. They were closer to the entrance of the cavern (after they went a roundabout way to get there), but were still well enough away from Jinja's fight so they couldn't be spotted.

More booms were heard, and they could see dust rising from both sides of the ruins.

Dax turned back, leaning against one of the walls of the formations they hid behind. Bren, on the other hand, looked out from behind them every few seconds. It started to get quiet after a moment, which seemed to send him on edge. He was probably worried about everyone else (well… As much as he could care about the Strike Squad).

"… Stop worrying, Glasses," Dax said, "Jinja and the Strike Squad have this. And as soon as these two wake up we can go too."

Bren frowned, and glanced back at the other teens with them. Chase and Beyal were still out of it, slumped against each other as if they were just sleeping.

"I know," he said, turning back towards the ruins, "But you didn't see what that guy is capable of. I'm sure Jinja can hold him off. But…"

Dax watched the other for a moment. He could tell that these… Whatever they were, were definitely on a whole other level. Maybe even as strong as Toxic Jon Ace. Of course, their monsuno were now more powerful as well, thanks to Dr. Suno's upgrade. But would that be enough? And what would happen to Jinja if she couldn't beat him? Just from his own encounter with the shapeshifter guy, Dax could tell these people wouldn't hesitate to off them.

Chase suddenly shifted a bit, his face grimacing before he relaxed again. Dax took out Airswitches core. They had a few actions they could take, most of which would get them chewed out by Jinja later on. Still, anything was better then just sitting around, especially since Bren kept glancing nervously around.

"Bren. Go grab Chase," the lowlander said, then gripped onto his core as he stood up.

"Why? What're you doing?" Bren asked, already at Chase's side.

"Well. Since you can't seem to sit still, might as well go in and find the Strike Squad to help Jinja," Dax shrugged. Bren frowned, but complied anyway.

There was rustling, and Bren and Dax jumped. It could just be an animal, but the two of them weren't about to take that chance. Just as they reached for their cores, two teens popped out from behind one of the walls, one heavily leaning on the other. There was a split second of recognition before they all breathed in relief.

"… What're you two doing here?" Dax asked, looking between the two Strike Squad members in front of them. Kilo glanced at him and Bren, but didn't respond. Instead, he lowered Tango down, who seemed awake, though she also didn't seem aware of where they were.

"A bunch of folks from Eklipse showed up," Kilo explained, "Don't know where they came from, but the whole place started going down."

Bren raised a brow, "Like actual Klipse? Or just his weirdo butler and son."

"Both. And some other guy with crazy hair," Kilo said, scratching his head, "That was just a few minutes ago. The others shouldn't take too long since the whole place was about to collapse."

"Wait. You just left them all down there?" Dax asked with a raised brow. Kilo made a face at him.

"I choose to follow through with my orders, unlike some people," the other teen said, putting emphasis on that last part, "Plus. I have confidence in my teammates."

Dax huffed a little, and was about to make a comment about how Kilo and Tango weren't willing to stick around when he saw the look in the girl's eyes as she stared blankly at the ground. Bren was hovering over her, as if he wanted to ask if she was okay. Kilo noticed the other teen's actions, and shot an annoyed look at him. Dax went over and grabbed Bren's arm.

"Just… Leave her alone for a little bit," Dax said, pulling the other away. He could already tell it was trauma of some sort, and knew full well what it was like to go through. Sometimes it just helped to let it run its course. At least that's what worked for him. Kilo watched them for a moment, then seemed to realize something as he looked around.

"Wait a sec. Where's red at?" he asked. He must've been talking about Jinja (though Dax couldn't help but roll his eyes at the unoriginal nickname). At the mention of the girl, Bren had an uneasy look on his face.

"She's… Someone else showed up," Bren said, "One of the people from the Hand of Destiny. But there's no telling if she's wining or not."

Dax looked out towards the ruins. The urge to go help the red-haired girl was still itching at the back of his mind. And if the rest of the Strike Squad was busy trying to take on Eklipse, that was just a bigger reason to hurry.

"Bren. Stay here with the rest of these guys," Dax said, immediately facing the direction of the inner ruins where Jinja was, "Meet up when the rest of the Strike Squad gets here. I doubt Jinja will be able to hold out any longer."

The other teen had a worried look, and glanced around the room with a sigh. With three of them unable to fight, there wasn't much to argue with. Bren nodded, and Dax started to run down the walkway. He heard footsteps quickly following him, and looked over to see Kilo following along.

A part of him wanted to make some sort of snide comment, but since beggars couldn't be choosers, any back up was good.

HLP

 _Chase knew he wasn't really tired as he ran, but still found it hard to breath the second he saw that familiar face. And that was enough to send a cold sweat down his neck. He rounded another corner, panting as he stopped for a short break._

 _"… Alright. It shouldn't be too hard to find her…" he said to himself, glancing around._ _He was honestly a little scared to actually confront this woman. If this was based on his mind, then anything could happen. He tried to push those thoughts out of his head, but then would remember what happened down in the Cave of Coalescence._

 _There was a sound, and he froze. Chase slowly got low to the ground and hid behind one of the formations. Silence rang in the air as he waited, but when nothing happened he breathed in relief._

 _He stepped out, glancing around as he did. Even though he knew that interacting with this woman could reveal what the rest of the Hand could be up to, there was a part of him that hoped not. If only because he knew that type of information would come at some sort of cost, and without Locke to help him-_

 _Suddenly, there was a flash of movement in the corner of his eye. He turned, and let out a small yelp as he was quickly dragged to the ground. He kicked and rolled over to see nothing but pitch black shadows grabbing at him._

 _"Ugh! Gross!" he said, then quickly jumped to his feet as they lashed out towards him. He ran down the path, not bothering to look behind in case they were following._

 _"Chase? Where are you?"_

 _He froze in his tracks. Up ahead he heard her voice. Now was his chance to confront her! But..._

 _"Please come out! Don't you want to see me? I know you're there..."_

 _A trickle of sweat went down his face. Could he do it? Could he jump her and get the upper hand? Even when she looked like-_

 _He was brought down to the ground again with a short cry. He turned and saw the shadows creeping at him again._

 _"Agh! Get away!"_

 _That made it worse, the dark streams lashing out as if they were cobras. He clutched his eyes shut in anticipation as a swarm of them rose up above, bringing his arms up in a feeble defense._

 _A light._

 _There was a hiss, and Chase opened his eyes to see the shadows fade away as something bright came closer. He squinted a little towards the green orb as it grew closer. It soon grew, and took the form of a familiar old man as the light faded away._

 _"Master Ey!" Chase exclaimed. The old man nodded slowly._

 _"It's good to see you again. Chase," he said, "I take it you're not here for a visit."_

 _"Ehehehe. Not really," the teen said sheepishly as he got up. He could still faintly hear Tesserah calling out to him, but her voice was becoming distant now. And the faint glow from the old monk was a comfort, especially considering the shadows that continued to linger about._

 _"Master Ey. The Hand of Destiny is back," he said, trying to remain calm, "We don't know what they're after, but they're back. Do you know what they're up to?"_

 _The old man closed his eyes in thought, "… I cannot be sure. The future is becoming unclear. But if it is the Hand, then they are most likely searching for other sources of monsuno essense besides those with monsuno sight."_

 _"But what does that mean?"_

 _"It means, Chase Suno, that you need to stop them as soon as possible," Master Ey said, opening his eyes, "There are only so many sources of monsuno energy. And if they're not after monsuno sight, then there's only one other possibility that they are going after."_

 _Chase blinked, then thought for a moment._

 _He let out a gasp, "the monsuno! They're coming after the monsuno!"_

 _The old man nodded, "There are more ways of being able to control a monsuno. And they're planning on the most primal way. And the lynchpin is the key."_

 _Chase tilted his head, and instinctively reached for Locke's core. Of course it wasn't there, and that made him feel hollow inside. He glanced off to the side where he hear Tesserah from before, wondering if she was lying in wait for him._

 _"Is there… Is there a way of beating her without monsuno?" Chase asked, knowing the old man probably knew who 'her' was. The monk had a thoughtful expression._

 _"… I wouldn't pursue that one," Master Ey said, "In the shadows of this realm, there are a lot more dangerous things here then just your mind, Chase. And she is one of them."_

 _The teen raised a brow, "Wait… Does that mean that she's real-"_

 _The light around the old monk got brighter, and Chase flinched, holding up a hand over his eyes._

 _"You'll need to prepare yourselves. There is more at stake here then just the world," Master Ey concluded, and was enveloped in the orb of light once more. Chase held a hand out as it glided away. He didn't want the old man to leave, or at least wanted him to keep the teen company for a little while longer..._

 _He turned down the path that he heard Tesserah's voice from. If he couldn't speak to her, or even defeat her, what was he supposed to do? What was the point of coming here?_

 _Chase kicked at the ground. There at least had to be more of a hint as to what or where the Hand was at the moment-_

 _An explosion. Chase was nearly knocked of his feet at the wave of energy that flew through the ruins. When he steadied himself enough, he saw two flashes in the distance. He stared for a moment as they rushed up towards the sky._ _The ground suddenly started to shake violently. Chase let out a gasp as cracks started to appear along the pathway. What was going on?_

 _A shout rang in the air that made him jump. Chase quickly scanned the area before realizing who's voice it was._

 _"Beyal!" he said under his breath, and took off in the direction. The quaking continued, and the cracks widened along the pathway, threatening to split any second. He turned the corner and crashed into someone. His immediately reaction was that it was Tesserah, but sighed in relief at the familiar sight of white hair._

 _"Chase! Something's happening," the monk said as some of the ruins started to crumble away._

 _"Yeah I figured," the raven-haired teen replied, "We gotta get out of here!"_

 _The monk raised a brow, "But… I thought you had something to do here? Weren't you going to-"_

 _"I can't face her," Chase said quickly, and started to lead down one of the paths, "At least not at the moment."_

 _Beyal seemed to want to ask more, but was stopped when they came to a halt. A large gorge laid in front of the two. Chase frantically looked around for another way as the shaking got worse. He grit his teeth, seeing some of the shadows creeping towards them._

 _"There you are!" A voice said gleefully. Chase froze. Out of the shadows stepped a woman with long brown hair and glowing green eyes. Her smile was curled into a twisted grin, "I was wondering when you'd give up."_

 _Chase felt his breath hitch a little at seeing his mother's face here. Ever since they started to become a real family again, Chase felt his uneasiness waft away when he was around Sophia. But…_

 _The slightest twitch at the corner of her lips. The tired and sunken eyes. The pale face and brittle looking hair. On the first glance she seemed the same, but when looking closely, everything was just… Wrong._

 _"What do you want with me?" he started off, trying to resist the urge to step back a little. If he showed the slightest chance of running, she would probably charge at the two of them. She frowned at the question, and glanced off to the side. When she turned back to look at him, the grin was back._

 _"I just want to see my son of course!" she said merrily._

 _"B-but I'm not your son. You don't even know me," Chase reasoned, anger rising at the fake tone of her voice, "You're part of the Hand of Destiny. And you probably know what they're up to!"_

 _There was a pause as she simply stared at him with a blank look, that smile still plastered on her face. She tilted her head._

 _"What do you mean Chase? You've always been my son!" she said._

 _Was she loosing it? She wasn't stable the last time they met-_

 _The shadows lashed out, Chase cringed away, nearing the edge of the cliff. He glanced towards it every few seconds, but also kept his eyes on the woman to make sure that she wasn't getting near him or Beyal._

 _"Please come back here son," she purred, taking a step forward, "I promise I won't be mad."_

 _He stepped back slowly, trying not to show fear. Soon, his heel failed to hit anything, and he knew they were standing on the edge. She noticed the panic on his face, and the grin got wider._

 _"Why are you afraid of me? You know I could never harm my son," she said, eyes widening. Chase looked away, shuddering at the glow in her stare. He could feel Beyal's worried look on him as well, and tried to keep his hands from shaking._

 _"I'm not your son," Chase repeated, staring at the ground defiantly, "I'll never be_ your _son."_

 _That didn't sway her, and she let out a string of laughter._

 _"Please Chase," she said, her voice seeming to multiply all around, "You can't hide your feelings forever!"_

 _He kept his gaze to the ground._

 _"Everything will be alright in the end."_

 _Her voice was getting louder._

 _"Don't you love me Chase?"_

 _His ears were ringing. Almost painfully now._

 _"Just come to me where it's safe!"_

 _Safe… He tried to force the voice out of his mind, focusing on the memories of his real mother. And yet..._

 _"Just come here and I'll make it all better."_

 _Would that make the pain go away? Not just the pain in his ears, but that hollowness he felt. Wasn't there something else that was there before…?_

 _"You don't have to be alone anymore."_

 _Chase looked up slowly, seeing her hand extended out. Compulsively, he wanted to take it. As if it was_ _natural. His eyes moved up to hers, seeing that crazed look._

 _There was a small sound, and Chase was able to look away for a brief moment to see Beyal moving closer. It was only then did Chase notice that the shadows had gotten immensely closer to the two of them. But why would they-_

 _Chase let out a gasp, remembering what both Beyal and Master Ey had warned him about this world. Was this because of his mind? Was it just an illusion? Maybe that was the key of escaping..._

 _He turned to Beyal, who had a blank look as he stared off to the side, casting weary glances to the shadows and the woman standing a few feet away. Chase glanced over the edge, remembering the encounter he and the other teen had before when they were stuck dreaming because of the Hand of Destiny._

 _"Chase."_

 _If it worked before..._

 _"Chase look at me."_

 _The shadows shrunk away, as if preparing to strike. It was now or never._ _He heard her gasp, probably realizing what he was thinking._

 _Without hesitating, he grabbed Beyal's hand and jumped into the gorge._

* * *

A/N: _Review Review Review!_

Beta notes: I actually don't read the reviews. Herpalerp's the one who does. So thanks to anyone who did?


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry I've been away! Lots of things came up (and I do mean personal things not just stuff related to writing). Nevertheless, a lot more writing this week now that I have inspiration.

Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever for the review (as always) and monsunopower.

Enjoy!

* * *

 _It was nearing twilight over the port city, ships coming in for the night as the sun set slowly in the distance. A group of soldiers stood by the entrance to one of the labs, waiting for their shift to end._

 _"You'd think a job like this wouldn't be as boring," one of them said, "There hasn't been any monsuno sightings in months."_

 _"Shh! Keep it down!" the one next to him said, "That's suppose to stay top secret! You should know that by now."_

 _The other shrugged, "Except there's no one around. Not even the scientists that are supposed to be working here. What was it again? Core Tech?"_

 _The two waited a moment as a car drove by._

 _"… Yeah. But S.T.O.R.M.'s planning on recruiting a few of the scientists. Who knows when that'll happen," the second one yawned, "But that doesn't mean we can let our guard down."_

 _The sun went down, and the two were left standing in the dark. The first soldier half wanted to grab one of the cigarettes from the pack in his back pocket, but instead settled for tapping his foot on the ground, both of which were habits he was trying to kick thanks to his soon-to-be-fiance._

 _"… Where's our replacements?" he said, "Ugh… Don't tell me they got lost again."_

 _"I dunno, Trey. You get lost just walking around the Cloud Carrier," the other snickered._

 _"You know there's a good reason for that! It's huge in there!" he said, "Which is a bit of a waste if you ask-"_

 _Suddenly, the lab nearby erupted in a burst of flames. The two stood shocked, unable to process what just happened as something roared in the distance._

 _"Wh-what was that?!"_

 _Another explosion. This one nearby the docks. Soon, screams and shouts were ringing in the air as the smoke cluttered the sky._

 _"We have an incident down at the Core Tech labs!" the other soldier said in his communicator, "I repeat! Incident at the Core Tech labs!"_

 _The two ran towards the lab that was on fire, scientists and guards already evacuating the building. Without warning, the entrance exploded as something charged through it. Everyone ran back in alarm as a large beast roared out as it stood by the wreckage. It's sharp eyes glowing in the dark as it glared down at them all._

 _"I-Is that-"_

 _It didn't hesitate to attack. Immediately, it lashed out at the nearby buildings and people without any hesitance._

HLP

"… Hey. Wake up."

The black haired boy blinked, glancing away from the skylight above them. He looked over to see Ehna giving him an annoyed look, and simply glared back.

"Stop spacing out. The last thing I need is for you to go in a daze when we're in the middle of S.T.O.R.M. like this!" The teen snapped.

The boy made a face, but knew the other was right. At the moment, the two of them stood in the main room where the halls split off in different directions. In all honesty, Exi found this place to be rather impressive by the way that the floors and halls were all connected by this center room. He looked to the ground to see it was a large metal grate, revealing more floors below them as faint sunlight trickled through the ceiling.

It was surprisingly easy to sneak inside without getting caught. With the help of Klipse, they had found that this prison was just outside of the lowlands in one of the many gorges that littered the area. There was hardly any traffic coming through, so it was easy to find out where the S.T.O.R.M. soldiers were going. And yet...

Exi looked around, seeing some of the cell doors open. There was something wrong. They should've met at least a few soldiers by now. Even the first part of the prison, if one could even call it that, was devoid of any presence.

"… Where is everybody?" Exi asked, now walking more towards the center of the massive room. Ehna didn't respond (which the boy found strange). He huffed under his breath. The teen was probably ignoring him again. He didn't like being belittled all the time like that. Not just by Ehna, but by the other members of the Hand of Destiny. A part of him was happy that they were all finally gone, but at the same time he knew that admitting that out loud could easily get him punished. Bitterly, Exi kicked at the floor. A resounding echo sounded throughout.

Of course this immediately alerted the guards to their presence.

" _You down there!"_

Exi was pulled away by the back of his jacket towards a hall as gun fire rained down towards them. He didn't get his footing and fell over when the two were out of range. The boy rolled over, seeing the older's annoyed look as more bullets ricocheted against the metal walls.

"Pay attention!" Ehna hissed, "The last thing I need is for you to get turned into swiss cheese by S.T.O.R.M.!"

"Give me a heads up then," Exi frowned as he sat up. Normally he would've been able to react easily to just the presence of other people. But lately...

An alarm went off, and the older started to curse. He yanked the raven-haired boy along as they bolted for the elevator at the end of the hall. Footsteps echoed throughout the halls as orders were being shouted. The lift doors opened for them, and they could see two soldiers standing inside, caught off guard.

"Exi!"

The smaller ran ahead, gathering a bit of energy in his palm, and threw it at the door panel. Sparks and smoke erupted when it hit, and the soldiers flinched. The nearest one tried to hold up his taser, but was too slow as Exi slammed into him. They wrestled on the ground before Exi threw him out of the lift. Without hesitating, he jumped up and sent more sparks through the inner panel. The doors slammed shut and it lurched down. He didn't like the idea of killing someone so weak, especially since they had better things to do at the moment, so simply throwing him out was fine.

The lift quickly picked up speed, which meant they were heading a long way down. The raven-haired boy couldn't help but fall to his knees, feeling a bit drained. For some reason that small confrontation left him a little winded. He'd need another vile of energy soon. Exi turned around to see the brown-haired teen pinning down the other soldier against the floor.

"You have five seconds to tell me what floor Doctor Caligari is at," he said darkly. The soldier, despite looking incredibly scared, didn't respond. The teen sighed, and leaned forward. Exi turned away. He knew what that look meant, and that the soldier would regret not saying anything. There was a shift in the air, and the boy brought his hood up over his face again.

Ten minutes later, they reached the bottom of the prison. The doors opened slowly to a dark hallway, red alarms still going off. The two walked off, leaving the soldier lying on the floor.

"… So. Where is this doctor at?" Exi asked, peeking through the small windows of the doors that they walked by. Ehna didn't respond, and kept looking forward. The smaller frowned, but knew not to push too many questions at the moment. The older tended to get unstable when he used _that_ ability.

Exi continued to glance around. He always thought the memory thing that the other did was uncanny. That could've also just been because of his own experience with memory, however. Most of the time the boy could hardly recall anything within the past few months. He never did figure out why that was (not that he thought about asking).

But… Then he saw those flashes in the S.T.O.R.M. ship where Sophia was. Those feelings were so… raw. Just the thought of it made the boy shiver a bit.

"… Here we are."

He looked up to see Ehna standing in front of a door on the right side. The older tapped a code in the panel, and the door swung open. They stayed in the doorway as they glanced around the darkened room. A rather old man was in the corner of the cell, though he probably wasn't too old seeing that he still had all his hair, though a bit grey. He slowly stood up, looking at the two of them.

"...Who are you?" he rasped out, as if he hadn't spoken in years, "And what are you doing here?"

"Hello Doctor Caligari," the older teen said, then held out a hand, "my name is Ehna. Or should I say, Shapeshifter Project I."

The man hesitated at the reveal, but took the others hand in a loose shake anyway.

"... I had heard the Hand of Destiny had terminated their experiments dealing with their Shapeshifter monsuno," he said, looking between the two of them, "I guess I was mistaken."

"That you were," Exi mumbled under his breath. Ehna shot him a look.

"Anyway," the brown-haired teen continued, "We'd like to offer you the chance for employment again. In exchange for releasing you that is."

The man thought for a moment, hardly paying much attention to the alarms going off. It had been a decent amount of time since they had gone off, so they probably had a small amount of time left before the soldiers found another way down here.

"You think you could hurry up old man? " Exi snapped a bit.

"Well aren't you an impatient little lout," the doctor sneered. The smaller made a face back, but was stopped when Ehna shot him a look.

"… Go wait outside. Keep guard," he ordered. Exi frowned, but complied. He knew what would happen if he disobeyed. Grumbling a little, he stood just outside the door, leaning on the wall as he looked for any guards who would be here any minute. Despite that, he kept glancing inside to see what was going on.

"I assume that one is also one of the projects as well?" Caligari asked.

"Project VI. Made a few weeks after you left," Ehna responded, "Which is why we came to find you actually. You made a deal with the Hand a few years back-"

"Try several. Nearly a whole decade."

"Yes of course. But we need you're research on the two that were given to you. Projects II and V?"

The man scratched his cheek a little in thought, "Yes. I do remember claiming the bodies of those two. But they were expired when I got them. Only really used for studying. Sorry to say, but you can't hope to ask the dead for help."

"Don't worry," Ehna said, then pulled the object from Droog out of his pocket, "We have that problem solved already!"

He handed the device over to the doctor, who carefully handled it, handcuffs jingling lightly. That Droog guy certainly wasn't human, and that thing he gave them was really suspicious looking. Exi honestly thought that Ehna would've thrown it out. After a moment of examining it, Caligari started to chuckle.

"Interesting," he said, "I wondered why there was reports of 'alien' monsuno. Who would think that they were literally aliens?"

"So do we have a deal?" Ehna asked, "Whatever you need we can get."

The old man looked up, "I'm afraid I no longer possess those two. I left them in one of my associates labs, hidden in the mountains. Her name was Moto if I remember right. Quiet the vile woman if I do say so myself."

He handed the device back.

"And I would rather stay out of the issues of monsuno," the old man said, sitting back down, "Even though I'm holed up here day and night, I've heard the rumors of Dr. Suno's son and his endeavors. And since he's probably like his father, getting involved would be… messy."

Footsteps. Exi quickly turned to the hall entrance and saw a few soldiers already coming. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, and glanced around. Seeing one of the large metal panels on the wall sticking out a little, he violently ripped it off and threw in the way. It got wedged between the ceiling and floor, causing the soldiers to start pushing and shouting for another way towards them.

"You and that little abomination can leave now," the scientist said, leaning back against the wall, "I would like to spend the rest of my time in peace now that Charlemange isn't in charge anymore. I can finally go about my day without worrying about being tortured before the sun even rises."

There was clamoring on the other side of the wall as the soldiers continued to shuffle quickly along. Exi heard the words 'explosive' and 'ceiling', and turned to Ehna. He had also probably heard, and was now looking around the room for another way out. He made an annoyed sound before settling his eyes on the wall the doctor was leaning on. He put a hand on it, and turned to the smaller boy.

"Go to one of the other cells. I'm sure one of them's empty enough for us to blast through the wall," he said. Exi frowned, but complied. He looked into the cell right next to the doctor's and easily tore off the door now that the locks were short-circuiting. Even though he was pretty sure it was solid rock, he raised his hands, preparing to blow the whole thing away.

 _..._

 _..._

 _"What is that thing?!"_

 _A flash of yellow._

 _People running away. A pair of soldiers standing at the side as they looked on in surprise and awe. Anger arose as it looked down at them all._

 _Destroy._

 _Must destroy._

 _A deafening roar echoed throughout._ _The nearest soldier tripped as the other took off after the other people. There was fear in his eyes as he raised his hands in feeble defense._

 _"Stop right there!"_

 _Across from them stood a woman, long blonde hair flowing in the wind as she glared hatefully with yellow eyes._

 _"Ch-Charlemagne," the soldier stuttered. She didn't pay attention, focusing on where the destruction was coming from._

 _Anger._

 _Another roar directed at the woman. Her gaze didn't waver, as if she weren't afraid at all._

 _Kill._

 _A flash of yellow, and everything vanished._

 _..._

"Hurry up and get that hunk of metal out of the way!"

Exi blinked, immediately dropping his hands. It took him a moment to reorientate himself, remembering where he was. Slowly, he turned back towards the other end of the hallway where sparks were seen as the soldiers started cutting through the wall he ripped out.

He looked back to the empty cell, realizing he had yet to break through it. Taking a steady breath, he gazed down at his hands. Why did he...

There was the sound of shuffling, and then the sound of gagging. Exi quickly glanced into the other cell to see Caligari dangling in the air by his throat. Ehna simply grinned darkly as the man struggled to get out of his grasp.

"Y-You little," the doctor rasped out, clawing at the teens arm.

"You didn't think we'd just come in here and let you go on without a care in the world?" the teen said, "Now that you know what we're up to, we can't afford to have you tell anyone. Especially S.T.O.R.M."

The doctor voice continued to choke out as he kicked desperately. Ehna tightening his grip.

"W-Why…"

Ehna started to chuckle darkly, lips curling into a smile, "The Hand of Destiny is gone, and with it, it's secrets. Charlemagne may not have broken you-"

Exi gasped. That was the name of that blonde woman...

"-but believe me. You're going to wish that she had!"

HLP

"Tripwire! Hurry lets go!"

Alpha stood by the exit of the cave, watching as Bravo and X-Ray called their own monsuno back. Tripwire was doing its best to keep anything from falling on the three. The three people from Eklipse must've already bolted, since they hadn't been attacked for a while now. And Alpha wasn't about to wait for a sign.

"C'mon Alpha!" X-Ray shouted. The red-head nodded, and motioned for his monsuno to follow. Tripwire made a noise as they bolted through the hall and out of the collapsing cavern. Rocks continued to fall, the monsuno managing to defend the small group.

"I see the exit!" Alpha said, quickening his pace. As soon as they got out, dust followed them as the remains of the Hand's base collapsed. The three of them coughed as they looked on

" _Alpha! Are you there?"_

He winced at the voice blaring through his communicator. Still holding onto his core, Alpha held down the button.

"Here. What is it?"

 _"I just saw the ruins collapse a bit. Are you all okay?"_

Alpha glanced around, seeing X-Ray and Bravo a bit disheveled but otherwise fine. He glanced down at Tripwire's core.

"Y-yeah," he said, "What about you and Tango? Is she alright?"

" _I think so. I left her with the others-"_

Static started to interrupt through the message. Alpha raised a brow, "What do you mean? Where are you right now?"

" _Me and Dax are going after Jinja. Someone else is here."_

His breath hitched a little. Someone else other then Eklipse was here? But… Who? S.T.O.R.M. captured Dr. Tallis, and Klipse would've wanted to be fighting alongside his group in case Chase showed up...

"Where are you now?" Alpha asked. Before Kilo could respond, and cloud of smoke and fire arose from the middle of the ruins. Roaring was heard as well. Alpha could faintly hear static, which meant his connection cut off.

"What's going on?" Bravo asked. Alpha glanced to the other two, then back to the ruins. Jinja was fighting on her own somewhere, and Kilo went to go help with Dax. But where was Chase? And the other two? Not to mention where those three from Eklipse went. For all they knew, that group was still lurking about. Alpha closed his eyes, trying to work through the situation.

"… Alright," he said, "Bravo, come with me. We're going to go help Jinja. There's a chance that whoever's attacking also came with Eklipse. And if that's the case, the other three we saw are probably going that way too."

"X-Ray, go track down Tango. Kilo said she was with the others, and since he didn't mention Chase, I'm going to assume that's who he meant."

The brown haired teen nodded, and started tapping furiously on one of his smaller tablets he carried with him. Alpha turned to Bravo, who nodded. The two of them hopped on Tripwire and took off towards the sound of the battle.

"Bravo. As soon as you can, spin out Deadfall," Alpha said, staring forward. It would probably be at least another few minutes before the blond could, but there was no telling how strong this foe was. He didn't have any doubts that Jinja could hold her own, but there was always a part of Alpha that wanted everyone to make it out okay. Maybe it was just his natural urge as a leader.

They slid to a halt, nearly falling off the monsuno.

"… What is it Tripwire?" Alpha asked. The beast grunted, and the two hopped off. It took a few cautious steps forward. The two followed, and saw the area nearly leveled out by the fight.

There was a roar, and then a flash that flew by. Alpha and Bravo followed it to see it was Whipper, now struggling to get back up. Alpha looked towards the direction it came from, and saw Charger grappling against someone or something.

"Look!"

He turned back to see Whipper turn into a flash of blue, and immediately flew towards the other side of the wreckage. There was a resounding 'pop!' Without a doubt, it was sent back to its core, which meant-

"Jinja!" Alpha shouted as he ran over, Bravo right behind him. When they got closer to some of the rubble, they saw the red-haired girl struggling to get up from where she laid. The two immediately helped lean her up, noticing how she had a bit of blood spotting her hair that dripped over her brow. She looked around dazed, until her eyes locked onto the two.

"You okay?" Alpha asked.

"… Y-yeah. Was just… Caught off guard..." she slurred a bit. Charger was still fighting furiously, though it looked like it would be summonded back any second now. Alpha was surprised to see it was a person draped in black that was fighting against the monsuno. There was a pause between them, and the person turned towards the group, making the teens tense up. He took one step towards them before Charger attempted another attack. Without a second glance, the person grabbed the monsuno just as it came close and threw it overhead towards the other side of the area. Alpha's eyes widened at the sight, and looked over to see Bravo openly gawking.

The figure turned to them. Alpha felt his stomach turn a little, and quickly called out to his monsuno.

"Tripwire!"

Immediately, the person bolted towards them. Tripwire barely got in front of the group just in time, but was quickly knocked to the side. The monsuno hissed, and charged again. With one punch, it was sent back into yellow sparks. Charger was still struggling to get out of the wreckage of some of the ruins, now panicking as the person eyed the small group of teens.

"… I recognize you," the person said in a raspy voice, "You're the little brat that tried to throw me over the tower."

Alpha raised a brow, and gasped in realization. He had forgotten about the incident in that cavern with the rest of team Core Tech, and moreover, the people who were trying to stop them. Somehow they… had _survived?_

The large figure rolled his shoulders for a moment before stalking over towards them. Before he could get too close, Bravo stepped in-between.

"… What're you doing?" Alpha whispered, only to get no response. The man stared to chuckle darkly.

"If you really think you can take me on child, then you're mistaken," he said. With one motion, he reached up and pulled the hood from over his face down. Bravo gasped, and Alpha's eyes got even wider. The man's lips curled into a sinister smile, sharp teeth bared.

"If a monsuno couldn't beat me, what makes you think you can?"

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, TacticianLyra, and monsuno power for the reviews!

Also more Bren moments with Tango. They're actually surprisingly fun to write about, if only because of how little they really interacted and where their relationship could've gone (if it weren't for the third season being so short).

Enjoy!

* * *

Bren frowned, staring out the small opening in the ruins they hid under as he waited for another quake from the ground below. Neither Chase nor Beyal had stirred for the past few minutes, which couldn't be a good thing. Not to mention how Dax and Kilo had left a minute ago, and since then things were eerily quiet.

"…"

He let out a sigh, then looked over to Tango, who was sitting on the ground with her knees draw up to her chest. She was staring blankly at the ground, though she wasn't shaking anymore. Bren felt the need to say something, but the words died in his throat as soon as he thought of them.

Instead, he turned back to the opening to peek outside.

There was the sound of shifting, and he glanced over to see Chase's face twitch a little. Bren felt a little relieved, expecting the other to wake up. Unfortunately, the raven-haired teen continued to doze off, at least that's what it seemed like to Bren (he was never good with the spiritual stuff).

He stole another glance over to Tango, who still hadn't moved from her spot. Bren ruffled his hair in frustration. Why was everything complicated right now?

With a sigh, he walked over towards the wall the girl was sitting against, keeping a few feet in-between them. He sat down as well, giving her sideways glances as he scooted over a few inches. She didn't notice. He slowly made his way over until they were a couple of inches apart. She still didn't seem to notice, which Bren found odd (and made his heart race a little, if only because of how close they were at the moment).

"… Um… Tango..?"

She blinked. The faraway look in her eyes going away as she turned to look up to the other teen.

"… yes?" she asked. Bren felt his palms get sweaty.

"Uh… Are… Are you okay?" he asked, trying not to get too flushed. Tango's expression turned wistful, and her gaze dropped to the ground again.

"I-I mean! It's okay if you want time!" Bren said quickly, trying to cheer her up. She didn't respond, and he immediately thought he did something wrong. With a small sigh, he moved to stand up, but then felt a hand grab his wrist. He looked down to see it was hers (a bit thankful that she didn't take his sweaty palm instead).

"…No. Please stay for a moment," she muttered, not looking up. He immediately sat back down, feeling a bit giddy at being so close to her. He could feel his cheeks getting warm, but knew she was probably not looking anyway.

He heard a howl in the distance, and turned to look out the opening. He recognized it as Tripwire, which meant that the other members of Strike Squad had probably gotten out of the cavern before it collapsed. Hopefully they would show up soon...

"… It felt like before," Tango muttered.

"Huh?"

"Like back in my home city… It was like when everything started to collapse…" she said softly, gaze still looking to the ground as she traced circles in the sand, "The… Everything collapsing around me. And the sounds of roaring…"

She let out a sigh, wrapping her arms around her knees as she pulled them closer to her chest, "Maybe that visit from before brought back those bad memories…"

Bren watched as Tango curled inwardly even more, heart dropping at seeing her like this. He couldn't imagine going through what she did. Even when he left home to help Chase, he still had somewhere to go back to. But Tango…

"… I'm sorry. At least you have a home at S.T.O.R.M. now," he said earnestly. He stole a glance at the other two when Beyal shifted a little in his sleep. Bren let his shoulders sag as he spoke, trying to relax, "I mean. You got the others in Strike Squad. And you seem to talk to Chase's mom a lot from the sound of it- not that there's anything wrong with that! - And you got us too. And-"

Bren stopped blabbering, realizing she was probably getting annoyed seeing that she was still staring down at the ground. He felt hollow, knowing that he couldn't say anything helpful.

"I-I guess I'll just shut up now…"

"… Jun."

"Huh?"

Tango shifted a bit, then started to trace in the sand again. It took a moment, but Bren saw that she wrote a character in a different language (if only he learned more languages like Jinja).

"Jun. My name," she said, then looked up with bright eyes, "My real name. I've never told anyone since I came to S.T.O.R.M."

Bren stared at her, then back down, then up again. He wasn't sure how to feel, and answered with a simple, "Oh."

Tango leaned back against the wall, resting her hands in her lap.

"When I first came to S.T.O.R.M., Charlemagne said it was important to ignore the past and look towards the future. I always took that as a sign to forget what happened and focus on my new life as a soldier..."

Bren raised a brow. He was surprised that the old commandant would say something so positive (though she probably meant for it to be more on the commanding side). The teen took a moment to think back to just this past year. Sure there were many times that he loathed (especially meeting Dax and Beyal for the first time), but in reality, he was glad that he was able to have those interactions. They helped make him think more about the others then just his own selfish needs. When he turned back to Tango, he wondered what her year was like, being with S.T.O.R.M. this whole time. Was it good? Was it bad?...

"… You know… It's not always bad to think about the past," Bren said watching her from the corner of his eye, "I mean… Y-You could always t-think about… t-that time… W-we…"

She glanced to him with a curious look. This made his ears go red with nervousness, a ringing starting to go through them.

"That time we...?" she asked.

"T-The… I-I-I mean…" he stuttered, realizing he was leaning closer to her, though she made no move to edge away, "W-W-When we h-h-hu-"

"TANGO!"

Bren flopped back into the sand. His chest was pounding as he stared blankly up at the ceiling as he tried to catch his breath. After a second, he recognized the voice that called out, and looked over to see X-Ray standing in the doorway panting heavily.

"W-What is it?" Tango asked, a blush staining her cheeks. X-Ray took a moment to catch his breath, as if he had been running a marathon. Bren took this opportunity to get up, immediately standing up as he tried getting the pins and needles out of his legs.

"W-We have to go!" X-Ray said, "Besides the whole Eklipse attacking, there's an earthquake going through the area right now!"

"Yeah. No duh," Bren snapped, crossing his arms. X-Ray rolled his eyes.

"There's a bigger one coming," he said, then threw one of his small tablets over to the teen. Bren hastily caught it, adjusting his glasses as he glanced down at it. He felt his heart drop at the readings.

"Are you sure?" he asked. X-Ray gave him a serious glare, then turned back to Tango. They exchanged looks, and the girl got back to her feet.

"I'm fine," she reassured. The other Strike Squad member must not have believed her, but nodded anyway.

"Let's go," he said, then turned to leave.

"H-hold on!" Bren said, "We can't go without everyone else! And Chase and Beyal are still-"

A gasp from behind them.

The three teens quickly turned to see Chase hunched over on all fours, panting heavily like X-Ray was a minute ago. His eyes were wide as he stared down at the ground.

"Chase!" Bren exclaimed, throwing X-Ray's tablet and kneeling besides his friend, "A-Are you okay? What happened?"

The raven-haired teen continued to focus down at the ground, hands clutching the sand as his breathing started to steady. When it finally did, his eyes fell into a soft stare. He turned slowly, and Bren could tell something had gone wrong. Chase sat back on his knees, now looking back to the ground.

"… Chase. What happened?" Bren asked. The other teen didn't answer. There was shifting, and Bren glanced over towards the wall to see Beyal blinking slowly as he woke as well.

"… She was there," Chase muttered, "… That… Thing from before… She was there…"

Bren raised a brow. He had no clue what he was talking about, but whatever it was must've been bad. Before he could ask, the ruins shook violently again. Tango let out a gasp as the wall near her started to crumble away.

"We gotta go!" X-Ray said, his tablet blaring. Bren's started to go off as well, which meant they didn't have much time left. X-Ray and Tango ran out, followed by Beyal, who gave a worried glance to Chase for a moment. Bren helped said teen up to his feet, and the group ran out to the middle of the path way.

"Which way now?" Tango asked.

"We should find the others," Beyal said, then glanced around "… Where are we anyway? I don't remember this part of the ruins."

Bren blinked, then scratched his cheek, "Oh. Someone else showed up while you and Chase were in dream land."

That got Chase's attention, who perked up immediately.

"Who? Who was here?"

"Klipse for one," X-Ray huffed, "And someone else that's fighting the rest of your friends."

Chase's face immediately went to horror. Bren couldn't understand why, but whatever the reason, it made Chase grab his core and throw it without a second thought. Deepsix let out a hiss as it appeared.

"We have to hurry then!" Chase shouted as he leapt on. The four of them were a bit hesitant, but agreed.

"Neo-Quickforce!"

Chase didn't bother to wait for them, and took off further into the ruins.

"Ch-Chase hold on!" Bren exclaimed, then scratched the back of his neck when he saw how fast the other took off. Instead, he shook his head, and hopped onto his monsuno with the others. It didn't take them long to catch up to the other teen, and they could already see where the battle was taking place.

"… Hey, Beyal."

The monk glanced forward to the brown haired teen.

"Yes?"

"Did… What did you see? What did Chase see? Or is he still half awake or something?" Bren asked. He honestly had no clue how to take any of the vision nonsense. The only time ever "getting" it was when he touched Chase's head at one point when he was trying to get a vision, and ended up seeing Mrs. Suno. If it was anything like that experience, he could see why Chase would be so wound up.

"… I'm… Not sure," Beyal said, looking down with a perplexed look, then put a hand to his head, "I… can't seem to remember any of it…"

Bren raised a brow. That was new. Before he could ask, something flew by them, nearly knocking all four of the teens off Neo-Quickforce. They all turned to see one of the ruins explode behind them. Bren glanced back ahead and saw Chase leaping off Deepsix as it ran forward into someone.

With a gulp, Bren signaled Neo-Quickforce to continue on, making sure to stay out of sight of whatever battle was going on. When they got in range, Bren could see Chase standing on the edge of the fight as Deepsix wrestled with a dark figure. A little ways away, the four could see Bravo, Alpha, and Jinja standing in some of the wreckage, with Charger nearby. They got off Neo-Quickforce and ran over, making sure not to get any attention.

"Alpha! Bravo!" Tango exclaimed as they got close. On a closer look, Bren could see Alpha and Bravo were both rather haggard looking with dust covering them. Jinja didn't look any better, with a small stream of red slowly going down her face. Alpha turned to them when he heard Tango, looking a bit relieved.

"Tango. You alright?" he asked. She nodded, and looked over towards the fight ensuing. Deepsix was thrown back, but hopped back up to growl out at the figure. Bren let out a gasp.

He had previously guessed that the person that had attacked them was the one from before. He knew they were probably not human, and he was right.

Instead of looking like a regular human, this man's left side of his face was covered in green fur and scales in some parts. When he looked to the group, they could see his eye had also gone black, his pupil glowing green. Bren felt a cold shiver go down his spine as they locked eyes.

HLP

Despite having an opponent, the strange man was now looking towards the rest of the group. Chase felt his instincts kick in, knowing that the guy was probably planning on going after them.

"Deepsix, Terra Torpedo!"

The monsuno grunted, then took off underground, dashing forward. The man glanced over, but hardly paid any attention. Deepsix leapt from the earth and collided with him. Instead of hitting the ground, he had caught the monsuno, hefting it over him as if it were nothing. With one huff, he threw the monsuno back towards Chase. Deepsix turned to land on its feet and skidded to a halt. It fell to its knees with a whine. Chase glared back to the man as he stared blankly back.

"… Suno," he said, "… What are you doing here?"

Chase raised a brow, then frowned, "Stopping you that's what!"

The man looked at Chase. The teen wanted to glare back, but the look in the other's eyes was so strange that he had to look away. It wasn't just because of how unnatural they looked either. It felt very much like _her_ stare. Too much.

"What are you planning! You better tell me before I send you flying next time," Chase demanded. The man didn't seem like he was in a hurry, and just rolled his eyes at the teen. Chase grit his teeth. He was keeping something, "What did you want with my parents?! If you so much as go near them again I'll-"

A piercing sound echoed throughout. Chase jumped, and looked over to see it was Bren and X-Ray's tablets. The two looked down, and their expressions quickly turned to that of horror.

"Chase we gotta go!" Bren exclaimed. Chase nodded, but as he turned to look back, the man had already bolted towards him. He gasped and stumbled backwards just as he leapt over Deepsix, now aiming for the teen.

"Warwing!"

Something flew over Chase and collided with the man mid-air, knocking him back. Chase stared dumbly for a second, and looked back to see Dax and Kilo running towards them all. With a bit of relief, he turned back towards the fight, intending on getting back into it. Before he could, however, the ground started to shake again. The ruins around them quaked, everyone letting out gasps.

"Let's go!" Alpha shouted. The group on the other side started to climb onto Neo-Quickforce. Jinja held out her core towards Charger, who grunted as it turned back into a flash.

The man watched the group of teens for a second before looking overhead as Warwing dove down at him. It shrieked out as it let out a beam. The man dodged with ease, now running towards Neo-Quickforce.

"Deepsix!" Chase shouted. With a roar, the monsuno charged forward to stop the man. Without a second glance, the man turned sharply and punched as the beast got close. He glanced back towards the teens, who were now airborne. With an annoyed look, he looked back to Chase and the other two teens.

"Stay out of our business Chase Suno," he said, "Otherwise, you'll come to regret that decision."

Before any of them could respond, the earth gave another quake. With one more punch from the man, Deepsix was sent back as a flurry of blue. The man glared back at Chase, and he felt a surge of panic.

"Warwing! Take him out!" Kilo ordered. The monsuno circled around for another attack, intending to come down with another strike. The man looked up, taking a deep breath as he did. With chest heaving, he aimed towards the monsuno, and let out a beam of his own straight through his jaws.

Surprised, Warwing swept to the side. It wasn't fast enough, and got caught on its wing. It let out a howl of pain as it crashed down.

"I mean it Suno," the man said with a snarl. As the shaking got more violent, Chase and the other two found it harder to stay standing. The man simply turned away, now walking down another path as the ruins started to crash around them.

"W-Wait!" Chase exclaimed, trying to steady himself enough to go after the man. This guy knew something, and probably knew something about that fake he saw in his vision. The answers were right in front of him, and he just needed to...

Warwing let out another pained sound as it was turned back into a yellow flash. Dax made an annoyed sound.

"Airswitch, launch!"

Chase saw a blue flash in the corner of his eye, watching as the dark figure got further out of sight. Biting his lip, he moved to follow. It was difficult just standing. How was the guy able to walk away so easily? Growling under his breath, Chase reached for a core. Suddenly, there was a hand on his wrist, yanking him up and off the ground.

"Let's go!" Dax shouted, pulling him up onto Airswitch. Chase felt some immediately relief once he was off the ground. He let out a sigh as he climbed behind the other two.

"Hurry. I'm sure we can catch up with him!" Chase said, already looking through the ruins for a flash of that dark cloak, "… Dax? C'mon! The whole place is going down, I'm pretty sure we have the advantage when we're above!"

The lowlander looked upward. Chase followed his gaze, and saw S.T.O.R.M. cloud hoppers overhead. What we're they doing here?

"Let's go," Kilo said. Airswitch started to hover closer towards the ships. Alpha and the others could already be seen getting on board.

"Wait- We have to go back!" Chase said, glancing downward. He could see cracks tearing through the whole area, making dust cloud the air. Chase cursed under his breath. No doubt that if anyone was down there, they were gone by now.

As Airswitch got close, the three teens hopped off. Chase kept his gaze to the floor, already feeling the gazes of his friends fall on him as they all stood in the back. Heavy boots approached them.

"What happened down there?" Trey asked, arms folded in front of him. He turned to Alpha, "Well?"

Alpha winced a little, but answered anyway, "Eklipse showed up sir. Can't say what they were after, but they put up a bit of a fight."

"Eklipse? Who exactly?" Trey asked. As Alpha continued his conversation, Chase glanced out the window. He wondered if Klipse had planned this with that other guy. Did that mean the Hand was working with Eklipse? What would that mean for the rest of them?

"I see… Good job Alpha. Taking control during a dire situation. I'm glad I put you with the group," Trey said.

"Uh… Thank you sir," Alpha said, looking to the side a little. His voice didn't have that confidence it usually had. Trey turned to Chase.

"And you? What did your group do Chase?" the commander asked.

Chase frowned, now openly glaring at the man. He wasn't sure what to say, considering he was off in another world, and admitting that they had failed to take down the one from the Hand would no doubt result in some sort of punishment.

He didn't respond.

* * *

A/N: I'm taking creative liberty with the real names, since they were never revealed in the show.

Jun - Korean, talented/handsome

Also happy birthday to the beta! (or at least it was yesterday) She did a lot of work for the past few chapters when I didn't feel like working, so yay.

Review Review Review!


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever and monsuno power for the reviews! Me and beta will be heading for winter break again soon. So expect one or two more updates before then.

Enjoy!

* * *

The skies were clear, letting the colors of the sunset streak across it in a dazzling display. Jinja would've found it impressive if she had been paying attention to it. However, she stared intensely outside the window towards the ground, watching as the landscapes below changed as they made their way back to the cloud carrier.

She let out a sigh, then glanced around. Everyone seemed exhausted, though no one dared to fall asleep. The tension from the talk with Trey seemed to leave everyone in her group edge. After Chase spoke to Trey alone, they were all allowed to sit down and have their injuries looked over. Jinja was fussed over by one of the doctors, but only had a cut on her temple where she had bled.

"T _his is Cloud hopper 3 requesting permission to land._ "

Jinja glanced forward, seeing the cloud carrier in sight. She was looking forward to relaxing, but at the same time was uneasy. Chase had been very quiet, hardly making any sound or movements as he sat staring down at the floor. Bren and Dax seemed equally worried for their leader, though Dax tried not to show it as much. Beyal, on the other hand, seemed more puzzled than anxious, constantly looking through the window, then down at his core in his lap. The Strike Squad didn't think much of the mission, making casual comments throughout the ride back, despite there being tension within Team Core Tech.

"Hey."

She looked over to see Alpha staring back.

"… What?"

The other teen hesitated for a second, "Is… Is your monsuno okay?"

Jinja blinked. She found it a little odd that Alpha would ask, and stared for a second. His face flushed and he automatically looked away. She folded her arms together.

"Fine I suppose," she said, glancing out the window again. She waited for a moment before turning back, "Why do you ask?"

"Well… It's just that… I noticed something weird during the fight," Alpha said, glancing over to the rest of his squad who were busy chatting about to notice their conversation, "Your monsuno. How long was it out?"

The two stared again for a second before Jinja glanced down at her core. Now that she thought about it, Charger _was_ out for a long time. Longer then it had been before. She was sure that eight minutes had gone by since she had spun it out, so why did it...

"I mean. I'm sure it's nothing," Alpha said, trying to be reassuring.

"Yeah," Jinja sighed, looking out the window again. Maybe she could ask Chase's dad about it. Maybe his upgrade to their monsuno did something that let them out just a few minutes longer. Yet, as she clutched onto the core, there was a strange feeling she got. She shook her head. Maybe she just need to sleep it off.

The ship landed without any delay, relief coursing throughout the cabin as they did.

"Alright, everyone. I'll report to Commandant Marshall Ace for the time being," Trey said as he passed by, "Go ahead and get yourselves cleaned up."

The Strike Squad left without hesitation, casually commenting on what would be for dinner. Alpha gave one last glance at the rest of the teens before joining his team. The remaining S.T.O.R.M. soldiers also left the ship with casual conversations, leaving Team Core Tech alone.

It was a bit awkward, seeing that it was obvious each of them wanted to say something. Jinja cast a glance at everyone else. Dax was staring intensely at the ground, arms folded close to his chest. Bren was fiddling his thumbs together, leaning forward a bit as he looked to Chase. Beyal still stared down at his core in his hands. Chase let out a sigh, then stood.

"I'm going inside," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and turning to the exit.

"Hold on!" Jinja said immediately, standing up. She took one step before seeing black spots in her vision. She winced, grabbing onto seat.

"Y-you okay Jinja?" Bren said, both him and Dax standing up at the sight of her. She blinked steadily before answering.

"Y-yeah. Just moved a little too fast," she said, then turned back to Chase, who stood in the doorway, back turned towards them, "Chase. You still haven't told us about what you saw in your vision. Was it something bad?"

The raven-haired teen didn't respond. Instead he left, leaving the four of them alone. Jinja let out a sigh.

"He probably just didn't have one," Dax shrugged, "There's nothing wrong with that. Though it did make the whole trip pointless."

Jinja shot the lowlander a look. Bren scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"Maybe he just forgot like Beyal," he said. The three of them glanced over to the monk, who was still blankly staring out the window. It didn't seem like he heard them (which was a little odd considering they were in a small space together). Dax rubbed the back of his neck in frustration.

"Well. There's no use in arguing about it now I suppose," he said, then started to head for the door as well, "Let's go eat. I'm starving!"

Bren let out a sigh of relief, a smile stretching across his face. He went over to Beyal and tapped him on the shoulder. The white-haired teen blinked, finally noticing the rest of them.

"I hope it's pasta night," Bren said as the two passed by Jinja, "A little food will help with all this stress."

Jinja still stood in the middle of the room, watching the group as they left. For some reason, there was something off about everything they all said. Of course there was Chase and his frustration, but there was also something going on with the other three. Beyal seemed more spacey, and Bren was a little too chipper. And why was Dax so casual? If anything, she was expecting more of a reaction from him. And to top it off, something was going on with Charger.

Maybe she did just need to lie down.

With a deep sigh, she departed front the ship, heading for her room. The walk didn't seem long as she trudged through the hall, trying not to move too fast like she did in the ship. When she did get back to her room, she collapsed on the bed with a sigh.

Who should she talk to when she woke up? Obviously Chase needed some space, though maybe in an hour he would be fine. So would Beyal if he just needed to go mediate, but it wouldn't hurt to check on him as well. Dax was probably the last person to talk to about anything, and would probably avoid talking to her in general. As for Bren, usually when he was overly happy it was because he had something good happen or was trying to hide something (Jinja couldn't really think of what that could be).

Turning over slightly, she let her eyes rest on the desk against the wall. Maybe everyone just need a good nights sleep.

She blinked, noticing that there was something on her desk. Sitting back up, she could see that it was an envelope. Curious, she went over and look down at it, immediately seeing the return address. It was from her parents.

The last time they wrote, it was about reuniting with her. Back when the rest of the guys went to visit Bren's family, she went ahead and visited with her own. They had been able to get over the whole "running off to save the world" thing, but she didn't actually say it was for the sake of monsuno. Presumably, so did Bren with his family. But he had to have mention it at one point, if only because he stupidly said he was a commander at S.T.O.R.M. Maybe it was about time she did the same.

With a deep breath, she opened the flap and began to survey the letter.

HLP

It was a long way back to the base, at least it was for Six. The sun had set by the time they had finally reached the lowlands, and he was downright exhausted.

He and the butler were silent the whole time, trudging back as if they had failed their endeavors, when that was furthest from the truth. If anything, Six was just frustrated with the fact that they had to be working with these… People. Of course Hargrave seemed to have similar feelings, though he didn't display them as obviously. Six let out a sigh.

"Quit pouting. We're almost home," Hargrave sneered. There wasn't a real way of knowing when they were back at the hideout, since all the entrances were secret elevators or shafts that were hidden in plain sight. Six could tell though. He had memorized nearly all of them in his spare time.

They reached one of the points, just outside of Sanctuary City, and were brought down the slow elevator lift. From the sound of the voices in the room ahead, Six assumed that his father was probably waiting for them.

Sure enough, there he was. And talking to that… Other person with the brown hair from before.

"Oh. Hargrave," Klipse said, noticing them enter, "Did everything go as planned?"

"Almost. A few soldiers from S.T.O.R.M. showed up," the butler said, "They were no trouble though, and we managed to collect the remaining amounts of monsuno energy as you requested."

Klipse nodded with a smirk, then turned back to the teen he was speaking to before, "What else was is that you need from me? Can we get the plan into motion?"

"Not quite," Ehna said, "We'll need to get one last thing. In fact, you may come along if you like to see first hand the type of power we have."

There was a glimmer in Klipse's eyes as his smirk got bigger (Six didn't like it when he got that look). It disappeared when he looked to the clone and butler.

"Go prepare dinner. We'll be back by the time it's done," the scientist ordered. Hargrave frowned, but obeyed, turning on his heel to leave. Six knew he should follow, but also wanted to stay just in case. Even if his father had monsuno, these people certainly weren't normal. And Six had watched them before in the cavern with the strange ruins, facing off against the teens from S.T.O.R.M. That feeling from before always rose in the back of his mind every time he was in their presence, even now as they stood a mere few feet from each other.

As the old man left, The brown haired teen didn't seem to mind Six's presence, and continued to speak.

"We'll need to go into the mountains in Mandala. We should leave before it gets too dark out," he said, then left for another room. Six continued to watch, unblinkingly.

"… Six," Klipse said, grabbing some of his cores, "Where is the one from the Hand of Destiny that went with you? And Dom Pyro?"

"The mercenary left after the mission was completed," Six responded quickly, then hesitated for a moment, "As for the other one… I'm not sure where he went. He might not have gotten out-"

" _He did."_

The two jumped a little, then looked up towards the rafters to see the last of the three from the Hand sitting leisurely above. He was looking at something in his palm, though it was hard to tell what.

"Don't you know it's rude to ease drop?" Klipse huffed. The boy ignored him, and continued to gaze down at his hand.

"Triah will probably show up sometime in the middle of the night. Probably getting the last few bits of info Ehna needs," the black haired boy said, then leaned back against the metal banister, "You'll find out soon enough."

Six raised a brow. What were they planning? Sure they had all spoken to Klipse in private, but surely as his son, Six would've been told _something_. He looked to Klipse, who had a rather angry look in his eyes. Were they keeping something from him as well?

"Anyway Six, " Klipse said, still eyeing where the black-haired boy was, "Go find Hargrave or something. Like I said before, this shouldn't take long."

"But-"

"Are you disobeying me?"

Six stood there, then let his gaze fall in defeat. As much as he wanted to make sure these people didn't do anything to his father, he knew getting on Klipse's bad side would just make things worse. Footsteps echoed from the far side of the room.

"Are you ready to go Doctor?" Ehna asked, reappearing in the hall. Klipse nodded, and the two started to head for the exit. Six lingered for a moment, watching as they departed. The two were saying something, but their voices were soon lost as they left back up the elevator lift into the desert.

Six let out a sigh. Sometimes he wished his father would put more faith in him. Maybe then he'd be able to go along...

"… Don't feel bad," the black haired boy said, still looking intently at whatever was in his hand, "It's not like Ehna would do something to Klipse. He's not stupid. If anything, he's just using Klipse at the moment."

The clone watched the boy for a second, as if trying to figure out what these people were up to. The boy had probably noticed, though he made an effort not to look back at the other. His frown got deeper the more Six stared.

"… What are you planning?" Six asked directly, "I know it has to do with Chase Suno. But this seems too complicated for that. Why not just attack him now?"

The boy glanced over with a frown, his bright green eyes glaring down at the teen, "What would you know? Your just some clone." Six winced a little at the comment "Besides, it isn't what _we_ want. It's not even about what _I_ want."

Six raised a brow. The boy let out a sigh, and turned away.

"Don't pry too much. The more you ask questions, the more likely you'll be disposed of. Ehna isn't the type of person to let someone go snooping around. And from the look of it, you don't exactly seem that valuable to Klipse," he said, and immediately slouched against the banister, staring down at his hand. Six frowned. He didn't say that in a threatening manner, which just made him curious.

Six took a few steps towards the boy, glancing up more. He could tell the other wasn't actually looking at anything in his hand. Instead, he was blankly staring down at his palm. The boy seemed to zone out, a faraway look gleaming in his eyes until Six was sure he wasn't even paying attention anymore.

"Six! Get in here!" Hargrave called out. The teen glanced over into the other hall where the butler was. He cast one last to the black haired boy, who didn't seem to hear the man, and left.

HLP

The cafeteria was bustling, soldiers all around talking about the latest news in monsuno dealings. The three of them managed to snag one of the further tables, though they tried to seem inconspicuous. Dax moved his food around with his fork, but kept glancing around. The other two were also quiet (though Bren was too busy shoveling food in his mouth as fast as possible).

He had to admit, what was going on with Chase was making him more then a little angry. But the destruction the Hand was able to do within the past two days was shocking. Especially considering they managed to get on the cloud carrier. Not to mention the fact that Klipse had gone with them.

Dax clenched his fork a little tighter. That had irked him the most. Even though the man wasn't willing to inform S.T.O.R.M. about any of his research and doings, the fact that he was locked up was reassuring considering one of his later stunts of trying to use the underground fighting ring of monsuno to get a test subject.

Dax let out a sigh, not wanting to remember what happened after that.

"… I'm going to go," Beyal said suddenly, standing up and walking off. Dax watched, though didn't make an effort to stop him. The monk was quiet the whole ride back, but it looked like he was busy thinking about whatever he and Chase saw in their vision.

Dax put his fork down, loosing his appetite. Of course something had gone wrong today, and Chase was feeling down because of it. Whatever _it_ may be. Normally Dax wouldn't have minded, except...

"Here," he said, pushing his plate over to Bren. The other glanced up for a moment.

"You're not eating either?" he asked. Dax shrugged.

"Eh. Pasta's not my thing," the lowlander replied, and stood up. He started to whistle as he walked away, trying to be casual so Bren wouldn't think too much about it. Since the other teen didn't protect, he imagined it worked.

Dax frowned a little as he walked back to the flat. This whole ordeal with Hand of Destiny needed to be put to an end, if only so that they could go after Klipse again. They just needed to find out what they were up to, and seeing that Chase and Beyal weren't being helpful with figuring it out, the other three would have to. But where to start...

Jinja couldn't do much at the moment, seeing that she could barely stand without swaying a lot. And Bren was too busy, well, being Bren. Thinking back, Dax thought about anything Klipse could gain from these people from the Hand. If anything, he would've went back to his lab to start back up on his experimentation in the lowlands-

He came to a halt.

There was one person he could ask for a favor from. Someone who would know if Klipse came back to the lowlands.

After getting back to his room and making sure the door was locked, Dax dug his cellphone from his pocket. He started to tap a few buttons, hoping the number he had was still good. Listening, there was nothing but the ringing from the other side. At least it wasn't disconnected.

The sound of someone picking up, then a pause, _"… Hello?"_

"Hey," Dax said. There was a pause on the other line. Were they going to hang up?

 _"Dax? Is that really you?"_

"Yeah it's me," he sighed, "How's it going Trish?"

There was shuffling and then a breath of relief, " _I-I can't believe it's you! I haven't seen you since you left the orphanage!"_

Dax winced. Contacting someone from where he grew up was risky, especially since the last time he did...

He shook his head. There were more important things to worry about, "Yeah. It has been a bit long. Hey. I have a question to ask you."

" _Really? Besides how me and the other rascals have been doin'?"_ the girl on the other line huffed, _"I can spare a few. What's up?"_

Dax shuffled a bit where he stood, then walked over to his window, "I need to know if Eklipse was spotted anywhere near Sanctuary City. I know his base is near there."

" _Wait. You mean that strange organization? I've heard rumors of that scientist guy being seen, but I dunno if they're true,"_ she said on the other side, " _I could look around if that'll help-"_

 _"_ No. You don't have to," Dax interrupted, "Wouldn't want you getting into any trouble. He's pretty dangerous."

There was a playful laugh on the other side, " _Really? Too big and tuff to even handle the one who used to beat you up when we were little?"_

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that," Dax chuckled awkwardly, then grew serious, "I mean it though. These aren't like the average thugs from the lowlands. They're into more dangerous things then you could imagine. If you spot him, call me. Otherwise don't sweat it."

 _"S-Sure. I'll do that,_ " she said. There was a pause, and Dax half thought she hung up. When he heard her sigh, he knew something was up.

" _Dax,"_ she said softly, _"You need to come back."_

He raised a brow, "Why? Did something happen?"

 _"I guess you could say that. It's more about your old mate."_ Dax let out a gasp. She couldn't mean...

" _He came back a few weeks ago. Dax. He's not right in the head, there's something wrong with him. At least come talk to him. Maybe seeing his best friend will help."_

Dax clutched onto the phone tighter, bitting his lip, "… I can't. Not after..."

" _… What? What happened? Dax. Did you do something to Spike? Is that why he's like this?"_

He drew his other hand into a fist, shaking a little as he did. He took a steady breath.

"… Call me if you learn anything, Trish."

" _Wait I-"_

He closed the phone, and stared out the window for a minute. He knew that calling was a bad idea, but to find out that Spike managed to get out of the monsuno fighting ring after S.T.O.R.M. took it out caught him off guard. And to find out that there was something wrong because of him...

"… Dammit…!"

Without thinking, he flung the phone across the room. He dropped to his knees, clenching his hands into fists. He wanted to go back and find his old mate as soon as he could, he really did. But with Droog still running around they had to focus on the bigger picture. And now that the Hand of Destiny was back, there wasn't time to think about helping him.

Dax growled under his breath, standing up as he tried to take a breath. No. If they could catch the Hand and Klipse faster, then maybe he could find Spike and get him to understand.

Picking up his phone (thankfully Doctor Suno was good at making things indestructible), Dax walked back to the window. As soon as he got word, he would tell the rest of them. Knowing Chase, he'll be on board faster then any of them to go out and catch them. Too bad Dax wasn't doing it just for him.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: So I'll have to admit, my beta kind of spoiled this chapter. But barely at that since she hardly promotes her work. (It was payback for saying happy birthday on here)

Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever and monsuno for the reviews! I'm glad you look forward to this story so much. Sometimes it's hard to get inspiration. (beta ended up dragging me away to play Undertale and then proceeded to disappear because of finals week).

Enjoy!

* * *

The mountains of Mandala were often treacherous, even more so at night. Klipse didn't care, not when he was getting closer to his goal. He and Ehna were currently trudging through the snowbanks slowly but surely to their destination.

Ever since he decided to go with the deal from these three from the Hand of Destiny, he was already coming up with new plans and ideas of how to go about making his army. He had plenty to offer for them to use, and there was only one thing that he wanted. The Hand of Destiny's research.

Just looking at the three and the way they worked was fascinating, especially considering that something as powerful as shapeshifter monsuno came out of their experimentation. He needed to get his hands on it if he hoped to take out S.T.O.R.M. and Chase Suno.

"We're coming up on the entrance," Ehna said, stirring Klipse from his thoughts. They walked over towards a ledge, looking down at the ground below. A storm had hit not too long ago, and they had just missed the worst of it. Without hesitating, the teen dropped down and slid to the bottom. Klipse followed afterwards.

"… Where is this laboratory at anyway? I have a feeling you were misinformed," he said, brushing some of the snow off himself. At this point, everything in the mountains was looking the same, except for the forest that was nearby a few miles back. And with every mountain looking the same as the last, they could easily get lost.

"We'll be there soon. Believe me, it was a reliable source," Ehna said, then glanced up towards the one of the larger hills, "Get your monsuno out and aim at that one over there."

Klipse raised a brow, but complied. Usually he wasn't very willing to take orders from someone else, but since they were stuck in the middle of nowhere as another storm was approaching, they had to hurry.

"Backslash, launch!"

The monsuno let out a grunt as it appeared. Klipse gestured towards the snowbank, and it let out another sound. With one howl, it blasted away the snow and ice. As the smoke cleared, they could see some sort of building half buried. Ehna walked up to the doorway, which had icy splinters of where a wooden door was destroyed. Klipse called back his monsuno and followed behind.

"… Maybe I should've brought Exi," the teen muttered, looking closely at the metal door that was in front of them. He brushed some of the frost away from the side of the door to reveal a small panel. Pushing one of the buttons, the small screen blared with static.

" _BZZ…ZZ… PLEASE ISSUE ID,"_ a mechanical voice said.

"Looks like you should've," Klipse chuckled. While having these people together made him nervous, he also relished in finding out what they could do. If he hoped to make his army just as powerful, he would need to keep a sharp eye on all of them. Especially if it meant finding out their weaknesses.

Ehna let out a sigh, pushing a few buttons. There was a buzz, and the door shot open. He walked in without hesitating, Klipse a few steps behind.

The hall was dark and cold, and despite the panel from before being able to power on, the hall lights stayed off. Of course, there weren't any other doors to go inside, so it was a straight away path. They reached the end, where the edge overlooked a large empty pit in the middle.

"…"

The two glanced around, guessing there was another way that they had missed. Before either of them could move, there was a sound from above. Quickly looking up, the two could see a dozen small lights cluttering the top. Ehna let out a gasp.

"How strange that there would be so little electricity here," Klipse said, still looking up. As soon as he spoke, a shriek piercing through the air that made him flinch. The small lights from above started to move, and Klipse felt his stomach drop as he realized what they were.

"This way!" Ehna shouted as he ran back through the hall. The two dashed down the hall as more sounds could be heard behind them. They stopped for a brief moment as Ehna started to look around the hall for some sort of way out. Klipse looked back for a brief second to see something rushing towards them. He let out a gasp as it roared and he was pulled out of the hall into another room. The hidden door slammed shut, and the beasts outside started to snarl and scrape at it.

"… That was too close," Ehna sighed, then started to walk away. Klipse stared at the door for a moment, catching his breath a little.

"… Those were monsuno," he said, slowly getting up to his feet. The other didn't seem to notice as he kept walking.

"But that's impossible! Monsuno cannot survive outside of their cores," Klipse reasoned. He and Jeredy had been working under S.T.O.R.M. for years to develop this type of monsuno. How were they just running around on their own? Or was it because of this Dr. Moto?

"Hurry up doctor," Ehna called out, "If those monsuno get in I'm not helping if you're caught."

That snapped Klipse out of his daze, and he followed along. Besides the noise of the monsuno from behind them, it was relatively quiet. They reached a staircase that led further down into the lab. The whole time, Klipse felt a sense of anticipation of what was to come. Besides the monsuno that they had met, he had no idea what else lurked about. Even more so since the teen refused to say anything.

"Seems a bit treacherous with these beasts running around. Why not bring back up with us?" Klipse asked, trying not to sound intimidated by the monsuno that had just tried to attack the two of them.

"Triah is doing… Research. And that brat doesn't need to be here at the moment," Ehna shrugged, "If anything, we'll be back soon enough."

Klipse raised a brow. It seemed that something was going on between the little group. There certainly was some tension when the two of them got back to the base. The man dismissed it. After all, it was probably nothing.

When they reached the bottom, they came to an impasse. There were a few corridors that led all around, each one looking identical. Without hesitating, Ehna went to the left. Klipse raised a brow at how sure he seemed.

"We're here," he said as the two stood in front of another metal door.

"How can you be sure?" Klipse asked, not wanting to get caught of guard by more monsuno.

"… Like I said, a reliable source," the teen said vaguely. The door panel seemed to be dead. A few pushes of the buttons, however, and the door slid open.

Klipse walked inside, gazing around the room. It looked much like his and Jeredy's old labs, notes and files thrown everywhere. He walked over towards one of the nearby tables, glancing at the research. He picked up one of the half made cores, noticing the differences it had from the cores he had encountered.

"Interesting woman this Moto must've been," Klipse said, putting down the core, "I have little doubts Chase Suno came along and had his way here."

That was always how it was with monsuno. Whether it was a monster in the jungle or a well in the middle of nowhere, Chase somehow had an ability to stumble upon it. That made his blood boil a little to know just how annoying that was. Hopefully they will be able to put a stop to his efforts with this next plan.

"… Over here," Ehna said on the far side of the room. There were two large metal caskets that he was examining, careful not to touch them. He started muttering something under his breath before cursing," … This might take awhile."

Klipse raised a brow. Suddenly, the sound of the monsuno from before could be heard coming down the corridor. They probably found a way in. With a string of curses, Klipse quickly shut the door, hoping the metal was reinforced enough to buy them time.

HLP

Disappointed.

That's all that went through Chase's mind as he laid on his bed. That word from Commander Trey is all that ran through his mind ever since the two had spoken individually on the cloud hopper. It wasn't just towards him, but also to the rest of his friends.

He didn't mind being told that, after all, he had done worst things since joining S.T.O.R.M. that has probably caused more headaches for the commander then his nephew Sebastian has. No. What bothered him was the fact that Trey was also saying that about his team. It wasn't fair to lump them in with him like that.

Chase sighed, turning over to lie on his side. They had nothing to show for their progress from that day either, not that they really made any. He knew that Klipse was up to something having to do with the Hand of Destiny, seeing that Six was there based on what Alpha had said. And then there was that strange monsuno man they encountered.

He shuddered. Thinking back, it disturbed him more and more to think that the Hand of Destiny was willing to do something like that to a person to create their shapeshifter monsuno. How they had managed to do that was beyond him, but just watching that guy take on all of their monsuno was surprising. They would have to come up with a new strategy if they hoped to take him on.

With a sigh, Chase rolled back over so that he was looking at the ceiling again. He found it hard trying to go to sleep. Sure his stomach was growling a bit for dinner, but he didn't feel like eating. If anything, he just felt groggy and exhausted. Closing his eyes, Chase took another steady breath as he tried to clear his mind.

Unfortunately, as he did, the image of _her_ flashed in his vision.

What could it mean? And why…? Why would he start to see that image of his mother. Now, after months of being able to know his real mother...

...

Was it his monsuno sight? Trying to make sense of what the Hand of Destiny was up to? Or is it something else...

...

...

...

 _He glanced around. For some reason, the sky was cloudy. And he couldn't remember what he did before hand. The tall trees all around started to rustle from the wind._

 _"… What's-"_

 _A whisper. It made him shiver. There was a low growl, and he turned towards the tree line to see a dozen eyes gazing at him. He let out a gasp as they rushed at him in a blur. Before they could get near, his core on his belt flashed as a beam erupted from it. Locke stood in front with a roar._

 _He hopped back in surprise, but was relieved nonetheless._

 _"Nice one Locke," he cheered a bit._

 ** _"You won't."_**

 _He gasped, hearing a voice whisper into his ear. He jumped, looking over his shoulder to see his mother standing far back. Only she looked like she did before he rescued her from the Hand, long hair flowing with her white dress._

 _"Mom, what's-" he stopped himself. What if this wasn't..._

 _She had a solemn look on her face as she continued to speak, " **You can't…"**_

 _He raised a brow, "I won't what? What's going on?"_

 _Locke let out a pained sound, and he turned around to see the shadows overpowering it. He gasped._

 _"Locke!"_

 _" **You will…"**_

 _The shadows suddenly looked up, glowing eyes in a piercing gaze. He took that chance and bolted for the trees, ignoring her as she continued to speak._

 _" **Are you**_ ** _turning your back on me? Like you did before. Like your father did before."_**

 _He came to a halt. His hands balled up into fists. He could hear the shadowy beasts hissing nearby._

 _… It was true. His father had given up on the search, despite everything. He even abandoned his son..._

 _But._

 _He had gone back. He had managed to save her, and everyone else. He stopped the Hand of Destiny._

 _This wasn't her._

 _This wasn't his mother._

 _He turned back around, face neutral as they stared back at each other. She must've seen this, as hers soon contorted with anger. He couldn't help but smirk._

 _"I knew it. You don't have as much power over me as you did before," he said, looking around, "And this is probably just some dream right."_

 _She didn't respond, lips tight in a small line._

 _"That's alright though," he said, putting his hands in his pockets and turning around, "I'll be sure to take down of the rest of the Hand of Destiny. You can tell them that."_

 _She made a choked sound. He felt bad about it, but when he turned around, he saw that she was actually chuckling. She soon burst into laughter, face going red._

 _"You don't even know what they're up to!" she exclaimed, "You'll just end up here, with me!"_

 _He frowned, "What do you mean?"_

 _The shadows started to creep up all around them, hissing and spitting loudly. He ignored them._

 _" **They want monsuno. They want power. They want you-"**_

 _The shadows rose up around him, and he flinched away as they got near. When he looked up, she was right in front of him. He gasped as her face curled into a twisted smile._

 _" **They want your parents."**_

 _A shout. He recognized it immediately. He frantically looked all around. Suddenly, the ground had disappeared, and he was standing on a small piece of space as a dark abyss loomed under him._

 _"Mom?! Dad?!" he shouted, trying to look through the shadows as they cluttered all around. They didn't come near, but rose above him, making it impossible to see anything._

 _"Don't worry!" she said, floating nearby. She held a hand out, "Come with me, and I'll make sure none of them get harmed. Just be with me and you'll never have to worry about anything ever again."_

 _He growled under his breath, still hearing his parents' cries for help, "No, I can't trust you. And I never will!"_

 _Her expression turned sour, the shadows riling up. They suddenly surged at him, and he leapt backwards, knowing this was just like last time. The fall would be enough to wake him. Except..._

 _As he looked up, she was smiling._

 _" **Don't worry. I'll always be watching you. Through more then one way."**_

 _A scream of pain from beyond just before he hit the ground._

HLP

"Are you finished yet?" Klipse said irritated. The monsuno outside were starting to put dents into the door and wall, meaning it wouldn't be long for them to get through. The scientist wasn't worried as much as he was irritated. His monsuno would probably hold up against these creatures, but there was no telling what the other ones were capable of considering they didn't need any cores.

The teen ignored him, working on some sort of device in one of his hands. He cursed for a moment, before pulling one out that looked similar.

"Hope this works," he muttered, then opened up the cases with a push of the button. It must've been some sort of cryogenic case, since steam erupted from the inside. Ehna quickly placed the devices inside and started saying something under his breath.

Another bang on the doors. Klipse turned back to see the bolts start to come undone. He growled under his breath, grabbing another core.

"Odon, launch!"

The monsuno let out a short roar as it burst from the red core. Klipse signaled it, and the beast barred it's body against the entrance. Even if there were a lot of monsuno, his new and improve fossil monsuno should do the trick, even if they get inside.

A burst of light from behind signal Klipse, and he looked back to see something happening. It was as if a bomb had gone off, as a wave of energy quickly erupted and he was knocked back. Silence rang throughout as the light faded away. Klipse blinked a few times, spots in his vision fading as the scene came back into view.

Ehna took a few steps back, still facing the caskets. A gasp, and a hand shot up from one of them. Coughing from the other case erupted as a figure rose from inside before falling out and onto the ground. Klipse blinked, seeing a rather grotesque form of green and black. There was a glimmer of green, and a hissing sound echoed throughout. Klipse leaned forward a little in interest as he could see spots of flesh start to reappear, and long curtains of hair change color. The one in the other casket fell out the side, howling in pain as the same seemed to occur.

It was silent as the figures started to appear more human by the second. It was then that Klipse noticed the strange devices were now implanted onto their chests.

"Welcome back you two," Ehna said, then pulled a bundle from the inside of his jacket. He unfurled it to reveal two similar cloaks to his own. He threw one over the figure still rolling in pain, then went to drape the other on the one kneeling. Before he could get close, their hand shot out, grabbing a hold of his neck. He let out a gasp as he was slammed to the ground.

"…H…How… D… Dare You," the figure rasped out, the last of green fading away, leaving long white hair and tanned skin, "How… Dare you… Bring me back…!"

Ehna coughed a bit, managing to pull the figures hand away enough for him to breath, "What? Didn't like the sound of living again?"

They growled under their breath, trying to grab him again. Bits of crystal started to appear on their arm. Klipse watched in fascination as it started to encase their whole hand. They punched down, causing a shower of rock to erupt. Ehna narrowly dodged as he jumped back.

The figure stopped for a second, then stood up. Klipse couldn't help but gasp. It was a woman, but was taller then any one he'd ever seen. She probably towered over him easily. But what was even more fascinating was the crystal that was still creeping along her arms.

"Listen," the teen said casually, holding his hands up a little, "I think I found a way of restoring us back to normal."

"Don't make… me laugh," she said, green eyes glaring at him. She brought her hand up, hand extending into claws of rock. Ehna didn't seem fazed as she charged forward with a shout.

Her hand stopped only an inch away from his face. A curious look was in her eyes, that soon went to shock.

"W-What…?" she stammered, "Why… Can't… I…"

Ehna started to smirk, "You didn't even bother to notice did you?"

She winced, seeming to struggle where she stood. He outstretched a hand, and tapped on the device that sat a little above the middle of her chest.

"Courtesy of a man named Droog," he said, "Fascinating little machine. Gives control to the one who created it. Too bad I altered it."

She clicked her tongue in annoyance.

"Look. I can tell you're more then a little miffed, and I tried reasoning with you, but obviously you would rather rot in this place then do something useful," Ehna said, crossing his arms, "Now, you're working with me, whether you like it or not. If you do cooperate, however, I'll give you the cure."

The woman stood straight, eyeing the teen suspiciously.

"And… Wh…What makes you… Think… I believe you…?"

"I managed to bring you back to life didn't I?" Ehna reasoned, "What makes _you_ think I can't turn you normal? I'll be doing the same to another one of the experiments. He may seem more then a little familiar, as you'll soon learn."

He held out the robes again. With one swipe, she took them.

"And what about you?" Ehna said loudly, over to the other figure, who had stopped spasming on the ground. A low chuckle rose, followed by a round of laughter.

"I'm… Back!" they said, getting to their knees, not seeming to hear the other two. The figure fumbled a moment with getting up. Ehna walked over, kneeling besides them. He helped pulled the robes on after a moment.

"… Who…?"

"It's me," Ehna said, grabbing the figures hand and leading them up his face. They must not have been able to see, as their head stayed bowed. There was a gasp as they reached under the teen's headband.

"… Oh… It is," the figure chuckled.

Klipse heard a noise from the door, and looked over to see Odon, struggling to keep the door shut. The monsuno must've started again. He quickly stood up, taking the core in his hand.

He immediately regretted it.

"Duo stop!"

The man looked over just as something stabbed into the wall next to him. He gulped, turning to see the woman holding a hand out at him, her eyes narrowed. He shuddered at the look.

Ehna got up, glared a bit at the woman, and walked over to Klipse.

"My apologies," he said, "Let me introduce you to the remaining members of the Hand."

They walked over towards the two, though Klipse kept his distance.

"Experiment II, Duo," Ehna gestured to the woman, then moved to the other, who Klipse could now see was a young man, "And Experiment V, Pente."

Klipse nodded, already taking note of the two and their possible abilities. He would have to be careful in the future.

"We're finished here," Ehna said, then turned to Klipse, "Now that I have everything in order on my side, what about you? Is there anything you need before we get the plan rolling?"

Klipse thought for a moment, stroking his beard. He would have to make a few calls to get a few mercenaries for more fire power, maybe a few other allies of his...

"I can make those plans when we get back," he dismissed. Suddenly, the large metal door they came through started creak. Klipse looked down to see Odon's time running out. They would have to find another way out.

"Odon, return!"

Klipse felt the core pop, and started to walk towards the other side of the room. He looked around, and saw another door. It probably led into the base more, but was better then facing the monsuno without a plan.

"This way," he said. He took a few steps before realizing the three weren't behind him. He raised a brow, seeing them still standing near the other one, as if waiting.

"I wouldn't be so hasty doctor," Ehna said, putting his hands in his pockets, "After all, you're getting a front row seat to see what we're capable of."

Klipse sucked in a breath as the door started to cave in, claws and limbs started to reach from the other side, desperate to get in.

"And besides," the teen continued, "We could use the extra monsuno power."

The man raised a brow. What could he mean by that? Just as the door finally broke down, Klipse watched in eager delight as the fight ensued.

HLP

Chase's eyes shot open. He took a shaky breath, staring up at the ceiling. Slowly, he sat up, feeling a cold sweat go down his face. He took a breath, trying to calm down enough so that the beating in his chest slowed. He leaned back down after a moment, draping an arm over his eyes. It was just a dream, but...

 _'I'll always be watching you. Through more then one way.'_

It felt so real. Like the vision he had before at the ruins.

And those screams. It was so lifelike, and familiar… And not just the ones from his parents. The last one sounded like a voice he heard before. But from where…?

He let out a sigh, and looked over towards the clock on his desk. It read 10:00, which meant he was only asleep for a few hours. His stomach gave a growl. At least the cafeteria was probably still open.

With a bit of reluctance, Chase swung his feet over the side and and stood up. He felt a bit lightheaded, but ignored it. As he walked down the hall, he felt a pounding in his head that seemed to get worse the more he walked.

After a few minutes of stumbling along, he got to the cafeteria. Hardly anyone was around. A few soldiers in one of the corners, and one reading a paper towards the windows. Chase walked over to the counter, ordered a sandwich, and sat down at one of the nearby tables. He picked at the bread, not really feeling the desire to eat now.

"Oh. Chase."

He looked up, seeing Beyal. He gave a half grin.

"Hey. What's up," Chase said, still poking at his sandwich. Beyal raised a brow at the action.

"Um… Nothing really," the monk responded, "What about you? You seem a little…"

Chase laughed, trying not to sound nervous, "Oh, I'm fine. Just a little tired after the mission."

"Oh. Of course."

Silence. The soldiers at the corner table started to laugh.

"… Chase," Beyal said, fidgeting in his seat, "Do you… Do you remember the vision from earlier?"

He tensed up. He didn't want to be reminded of her. Not after having that nightmare.

"… A little," Chase muttered, "Why? Was there something about it that you wanted to talk about?"

Beyal's gaze fell, "Actually… I can't really… Remember it."

Chase couldn't help but stare. He could still remember the vision so clearly. It was probably the reason he had that nightmare. So how could Beyal not remember it? He was usually vague about his visions, but there wasn't a time where he didn't remember it at all. Even when they were traveling together, the closest thing that was similar was when he couldn't get visions.

"You sure? Not even a little bit" the raven-haired teen asked. The monk shifted a little in his seat before shaking his head.

"Did… Did anything happen?" Beyal asked, "I want to make sure I didn't miss anything."

Chase stared down for a second, trying to run through the details. It was just them in the ruins, running away from those shadows. And of course...

 _'The want you. They want your parents'_

He took a breath before sighing. Chase really didn't want to think about this anymore, not after having to go through a similar experience just a few moments ago. That, and there was this feeling he got as the two sat there that made his head throb even harder.

He wrapped up his sandwich and stood up to walk away.

"Ask me tomorrow. I need to think it over as well."

* * *

A/N: Lots of plot happening in the next few chapters. I'm forcing myself to get a lot done now before beta leaves for break, so it'll be a rough week.

Review Review Review!


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever for the review!

I know the stuff with the villans/OC's is a little dragging, but it helps build up what's to come. Also Beta really wants to get to a certain spot in the story before going on break so expect maybe one more update before we officially go on hiatus.

Until then, enjoy!

* * *

Jon stared into the cell, a serious look on his face as he watched the soldiers examining the door panel and the body inside. He had received word that morning of intruders within S.T.O.R.M.'s high class prison, and was a bit surprised to hear about who it was.

"… And you're sure it was two?" he asked one of the guards standing next to him.

"Yes sir. According to the security footage and the reports: a boy with black hair and a young man with brown hair, both of which who had green eyes," the guards said, "And that's not all. We found they got in through one of the security entrances. There's a good chance that they know the codes to other bases."

"… I see," Jon said, still looking on the inside of the cell. Ever since Chase filled out that report of someone stealing monsuno energy, the commandant decided to look into the matter even further. There were other bases, though a bit smaller, that had similar issues of energy containers going inexplicably missing. They were small enough to go unnoticed until Jon put the events all together.

'They're up to something big,' he thought, crossing his arms. It had been going on for months now, which meant they must have a dangerous amount of monsuno essence. What ever they were doing, S.T.O.R.M. would have to be prepared for the worst.

The last of the coroners made a note, and two of the soldiers lifted up the stretcher to remove the body from inside.

"… Hold on," Jon said as they came out. He looked down at the old man's face, worn and tired looking. There was a sinister bruise on his neck from where he had been strangled, though it was reported that it had been snapped. Obviously he knew something for the two to come and kill him. The commandant would have to look at the security tapes to be sure.

Jon let out a sigh, turning away. He signaled the soldiers to continue on, but stayed behind as a few continued to inspect the other rooms and hall. The more Jon debated about this incident, the more he got frustrated.

The night before he managed to get a hold of Trey's old accounts of the issue with the Charlemagne from years ago. It was a little strange to read about the successes of the old Commandant and how she rose to power, but there was still no hints as to who it was from her past that could have a connection to the Hand of Destiny.

Until he got the message from the prison.

Caligari.

A man who worked within both S.T.O.R.M. and Core Tech for a while, helping to develop monsuno essence along with an assortment of other scientists. He had gone of the radar for a few years, until he suddenly came back. Within that time, he managed to help create one of the most devastating forces that S.T.O.R.M. had ever acquired. Driftblade.

Not long afterwards, he was discharged and sent to the prison. But it ended there.

Jon furrowed his brow in frustration. Why would Charlemagne send the man who created her personal monsuno to the prison? Sure the man was present when the lab was destroyed after Driftblade had gone berserk, but the incident was labeled as an accident because of faulty equipment. It made no sense…

"It looks like I have my work cut out for me," he said. He could always try to reason with Charlemagne and get her to talk, but if she was so set on keeping her past a secret, it wouldn't be easy.

After waiting a moment, he walked over to the adjacent cell. The back wall had been blown to bits, leading into the chasm that led outside the prison. Jon walked towards it, feeling the cold wind waft through as the faint sunlight stretched down inside. He looked up, seeing the edge of the cliff far overhead. Whoever these people were, they were inhuman to escape this place in the way they did.

Jon let out a sigh, and started to turn back. However, there was a flicker of green that caught his eye. On the edges of the broken wall there was some sort of dust. Out of curiosity, he wiped some of it onto his fingertips.

"Sir. We're finished in the other room," a soldier said from the doorway, "We'll be taking the results to the lab now."

"… Yes of course," Jon replied, still looking at the strange dust that now covered the tips of his glove. He heard their footsteps leave, but was still curious about the substance. For some reason, there was something alluring about it...

He felt a jolt go through his body.

He gasped, gripping his chest as a pain shot through it.

Jon fell to his knees, feeling his consciousness fading away as it was replaced by something more primal. He continued to grip his chest, trying to maintain control. He let out a pained shout as it felt like his mind was being split into two. He knew what was coming. He felt it before.

This was just like all the other times after the S.T.O.R.M. lab was destroyed.

He had to get a grip or else _it_ would happen.

But it was too late. He could already feel the monsuno energy starting to flow through his body. He continued to scream in pain as he felt his body contort and strain against itself and his consciousness.

He had to stop it somehow.

He couldn't do _that_ here.

With one swift movement, he reached into his boot where he kept a hidden dagger and sliced his hand open.

There was a gasp from the doorway, but Jon ignored it. He grit his teeth in pain, but felt it overwhelm the monsuno essence's influence as it receded back into his mind. He let out a heavy breath as blood started to soak into his glove. He removed both, tossing them onto the floor with a wince.

"C-Commandant!"

Jon looked over to see a soldier still standing in the doorway. His heart was pumping with adrenaline, and helped dull the pain a little.

"A-Are you okay?" they asked, most likely shaken by Jon's sudden action.

"… Yes," Jon sighed heavily, "Just… Go get me a drink of water."

The soldier hesitated, "B-but your hand-"

"-will be fine until you get back," Jon said, trying to reassure them. It didn't seem to work, but the soldier nodded anyway. Jon felt the urge resurfacing, and quickly reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and a small vial. He poured the contents onto the cloth, and held it against the cut. He probably didn't go too deep, seeing that he could still feel the use of his fingers. It would definitely need stitches later, however.

He was just lucky he was able to respond so quickly, and even more with the vial containing the emergency drug from Jeredy if this was to happen, helping to steady the transformation.

Speaking of whom, Jon would have to ask him about the dust that still covered the edges of the wall. Taking a steady breath, he slowly got to his feet. At least this proved one thing.

He would have to try harder to keep his toxic form under control.

HLP

The cells were quiet, even thought soldiers walked through every few minutes. Security must've been tightened over the past few days.

"I-I'll h-h-have to w-work q-q-quickly," Tallis said under his breath as another soldier patrolled through for the fifth time in the past half hour. While he wasn't expecting to get caught, he still planned for it just in case. If anything, he could start working on the next part of the plan now that he was in S.T.O.R.M.

A few weeks ago, he was approached by a rather unfamiliar group. He didn't think much of them at the time, just an inexperienced posse who would probably get their dues from S.T.O.R.M. all too soon. However, their intentions were definitely something that he was interested in when they spoke. Over time, they came to an agreement, and eventually a partnership. And considering how his former partner was apprehended by S.T.O.R.M., Tallis saw it as necessary.

Of course, there was a lot that could go wrong. Even getting captured was a bargain, but if what that brown-haired teen said was accurate, then it would pay off in the end.

"… Just what are you thinking in zere?"

Tallis jumped at the voice in one of the cells next to him. Immediately he felt his face start to burn red. It was Charlemagne.

"O-Oh! N-n-nothing!" he said, stuttered a lot more then usual, "H-H-how are you d-d-doing? M'lady?"

There was a scoff.

"Don't try to get friendly with me you little worm," she said, "I 'ave no interest in what you 'ave planned. Unless it has to do with getting revenge on Chase Suno of course."

Tallis couldn't help but giggle to himself. Just a feisty as ever. Maybe if he told of their plan of destruction involving Suno, maybe he could convince Charlemagne to join them. Then maybe she would...

"Actually. I-it's funny that you s-s-say that!" he said, peeking out the bars, "It actually does! And it'll be m-more then S-S-S.T.O.R.M. or Chase Suno can h-handle!"

"Oh really?" Charlemagne asked, looking out the bars as well, "If that's the case, maybe you could leave S.T.O.R.M. in decent enough pieces for me to regain my control."

Tallis raised a brow, "I-I mean. W-Would it really be necessary f-for S.T.O.R.M. to continue if the world is d-d-destroyed?"

"Of course it iz!" Charlemagne said gripping the bars of the window tighter, "The original intent has been and always will be to eradicate and control monsuno! And if zat means ruling over the world to see zat happen I won't hesitate to do so."

Tallis felt his face get warmer. There was something about how fired up the woman got that was abnormally attractive. (Either that or he was just overworking himself into a daze).

She glanced around for a moment before turning back, "… What iz your plan anyway?"

"Well, I was g-g-given quite a few t-tasks. First I'll have to find the monsuno scrolls of the Five Tribes," Tallis said quickly in a vain attempt to impress. A guard entered, and the two ducked down. After they waited for a few seconds, the other door on the far side of the hall could be heard opening and closing, the two rose again.

"Why would you need those things? Zere was nothing of interest in them," Charlemange said.

"Y-You have seen the scrolls?" Tallis asked.

"Of course. And If I remember right, my little pawn One-Eyed Jack managed to obtain them for me from the temple in Mandala," she said. Tallis felt his breath hitch. He remembered seeing something appear at one point with Jack's implants in the mountains of Mandala. So that was...

"Still," Charlemagne continued, "I doubt that S.T.O.R.M. kept them here. That fool Jon Ace no doubt took them back to zee library for safe keeping."

Tallis cursed. So he got caught for no reason. At least he had this useful bit of information. Which meant he just needed to get to the library...

"I s-s-see," he said, "In that case, I'll have to set things in motion now."

He ducked away from the window, pulling out a rather intricate piece of machinery from under his bed. While he had his cores taken away when he arrived, he still had one ace up his sleeve to get him out. If only because S.T.O.R.M. was in a state of chaos when he and Drezz were apprehended and failed to search him thoroughly. Good thing he came prepared.

"M'lady. W-Would you mind stepping away from the wall opposite of t-t-the door?" he stuttered out. He heard shifting from the other cell, and placed the rather crudely made bomb in the corner by the window. Even if she wasn't interested in their plan, the least he could do is help her escape as well.

He felt his implant in his fake eye buzz a little. Using what little power he could, he felt the jolts of electricity go through as he sent a message to the other Punk Monks.

" _Tinker. Ratchet. Throttle. Now is the time to act. In three minutes, approach the Cloud Carrier on the right underside."_

HLP

Jeredy hummed to himself as he continued to look down at the core. He couldn't figure out why Driftblade responded in the way that it did, and it felt like he was getting nowhere. There were a lot of things he needed to attend to, but throughout it all, those flashes from before continued to go through his mind. Sometimes they would happen when he wasn't even thinking about it, making him jump a bit and go into a daze. Unfortunately, he could hardly remember them as they would fade from his memory.

He shook his head. At first he thought it had to do with Driftblade's core being defective. Obviously that wasn't the case. If anything, he should try spinning it out just to see if it was just the core. But seeing that there were still after effects, Jeredy felt that maybe it was too soon to try out his theory.

He let out a sigh. Maybe he was just over thinking things.

A knock at the door stirred him from his thoughts.

"Come in," he said, putting the core down. To his surprise, Jinja appeared in the doorway, "Oh. Good morning."

"Hey doctor Suno. How's Charger?" she asked, looking a bit worried. When she got back from the mission with Chase and the others, she showed up at his lab to have the core examined. At first, Jeredy thought something similar to Driftblade happened. However, it had to do with something else entirely.

"Fine as far as I can tell," Jeredy said, walking over to another desk and picking up the blue core, "There wasn't anything really wrong with it as far as I could tell."

"I see…"

She seemed to be bothered by this, but at the same time it was hard to judge considering he didn't know what happened during the mission. Jeredy got a brief run down from Jinja when she came in, but other then that there was telling what went on. And given the amount of work he had to do, he couldn't even go ask Chase.

But then again, he hadn't seen Chase since yesterday morning. Strange considering he always made an effort to come see his dad after every mission.

"And you're sure it was out for more then eight minutes?" he continued. Jinja nodded.

"Positive."

Jeredy hummed in thought. First Driftblade, now charger. Just what was going on with the monsuno? Not to mention the earthquake that was caused by the shift in monsuno energy yesterday and the reappearance of the Hand. None of this could be good.

"Was it acting strange when you spun it out? Or perhaps interacted with something strange?" he asked. Jinja shook her head, but paused for a moment.

"I mean. Charger fought with the weird monsuno guy, but otherwise, everything was normal," she said, "You don't think that had to do with it do you?"

"It's possible, but I'd have to see the battle field to know for sure," Jeredy said, putting a thumb to his chin. There was no telling the type of effects these people could have on monsuno, considering Jeredy's own interactions with them. Maybe it was best to try and avoid confronting them if possible. At least until he figures out why the monsuno react the way that they do.

He held Charger's core out for her to take, "As for now, I think it should be fine to spin out, just as long as you remember to call it back to it's core before the time runs out. After all, it could've just been an anomaly."

Jinja nodded, grabbing the core. She looked at it for a moment and started to head for the door. She stopped when she was a few steps away, however.

"Um… Dr. Suno," she said glancing back, "Maybe… You ought to talk to Chase."

"Why? What's wrong?"

Her gaze dropped, "Well… He seems much more troubled after our mission. Maybe you can… I don't know, talk to him? He seems to be avoiding the rest of us."

Jeredy raised a brow. That was a bit unheard of for Chase. Sure he could be a bit hot-headed at times, but usually he calmed down after a good night's sleep.

"I'll do that during my next break," Jeredy said, "But if you see him, could you tell him to come down here?"

Jinja nodded. Before she could leave, however, an alarm started to go off. The two flinched at the sound, hearing footsteps running through the halls.

"W-What's going on?" Jinja stuttered. Jeredy gasped.

"It's another jail break!"

Jinja turned back in surprised, "Really? But who could…"

The two exchanged looks before taking off down the hall to the lower decks, tightly gripping onto their cores.

HLP

Charlemange let out a groan as she was pressed against the wall of the cell by the blast, trying to keep herself from being sucked out the gaping hole that dropped to the outside. The back wall where her window once was, was now inexistent, as well as the right wall that divided her and Tallis' cells. She was certainly surprised by the sheer amount of firepower, but also by the fact that Tallis somehow managed to have this device get inside S.T.O.R.M. She scoffed. Jon was loosing his touch, even with the security boost.

"W-W-Wow! It w-worked!" Tallis stuttered as he stood up. He picked up a few pieces of metal, examining them briefly. He tossed them back down, then turned towards her. He seemed hesitant to speak to her in person, which just made the old commandant scoff.

"I-I-It wouldn't be f-f-fair to leave you h-here in this p-place," he stammered a bit, shuffling a little, "S-so, w-would y-y-you like t-t-to join us?"

Charlemange stared for a moment, then turned to the outside, sky brightening their now darkened cells. Getting the chance of escaping and to regain her position in one go. Would it be worth it this time?

She looked over to see Tallis glancing out as well. He seemed distracted, however, and after a few seconds he took a few steps over the used-to-be wall that divided them.

"M-My Punk Monks will be h-here any minute n-now! Let's hurry before S.T.O.R.M. soldiers show up!"

Charlemange watched as he came over and held a hand out to help her up. Would she really want to go through with this? She remembered how the Forge Resistance was set on destroying the world with monsuno, but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted her old army back, her old high ranking status. She wanted her monsuno. She wanted...

She rose, not bothering to take his hand, and walked over to the hole, feeling her coat billow in the wind.

"I suppose I could use the boost," she said, "If only because I need a head start in retrieving my control of S.T.O.R.M.," she said, then turned back to the doctor, "Could you promise me that much?"

Tallis nodded, "A-A-Anything that you want! I will do e-e-everything I can to h-help! The Forge Resistance will be at your call!"

She grinned darkly. This man wasn't as useless as she thought. She could probably get him to do anything. Even things that were out of S.T.O.R.M.'s reach.

… Maybe even help find Siarl.

"I guess I'll go with you for now," she said as he walked over to her side. His eyes lightened up immensely.

"E-Excellent!" he said, "I'll b-be sure to g-get you p-p-proper a-accomodations! Y-You'll be a valuable asset to o-our goal!"

"'Our'?"

Tallis nodded, "Yes! Mine and the H-H-Hand of Destiny's!"

Her eyes widened, hands drawing into tight fists.

"… What?"

"T-The Hand," Tallis said, looking around outside the hole for a sign of his followers. He let out a sigh then shrugged, "T-They're p-p-planning on using some old s-s-scientist's old methods to- Ack!"

With one hand, Charlemagne grabbed a hold of the man and heaved him over the side, letting him dangle over the edge.

"M-M-M'lady?"

"Let me guess, it has to do with monsuno sight," she hissed through her teeth, eyes narrowed in anger. The man gulped.

"I-I-I'm not s-s-sure!" he stuttered, more so then usual, "M-M-Maybe if you a-ask them-"

She let her grip loosen a little with a sneer. She thought this man could be proven useful, but he was just as useless as the rest of them, if not a little more.

"… I already have."

Without hesitating, she let go.

Tallis let out a scream as he dropped, and Charlemagne stood on the edge as she watched him fall. Of course, his little followers managed to get there in time before he could get too far down. She continued to watch, seething with anger as they flew far from the Cloud Carrier, back to that wretched organization.

* * *

A/N: Yeah… Charlemagne could get a little out of hand (though it was fun righting her POV knowing how evil she could be)

Review Review Review!


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever and TacticianLyra for the reviews. (Me and beta are rushing to get these done in time!)

Enjoy!

* * *

Alpha stood on the deck that led out to the top of the cloud carrier. It was a little breezy outside, but he didn't mind. If anything, he liked the calmness of it considering what happened yesterday.

He let out a sigh. As much as he liked rubbing it in Chase's face, there was something… Wrong about how the other looked. As if it were more then a recon mission. Alpha had to wonder a little about why he was so set on the Hand of Destiny. Clearly it wasn't anything trivial like a rematch, so what could Chase possible want with people so dangerous?

The red head ruffled his hair. Maybe it was because they attacked his parents, which was understandable. After all, Alpha would do anything to help own mother if it came down to it.

There were footsteps, and he looked up to see Chase walking by, looking as sullen as ever.

"… Uh. Hey," Alpha said when he got close, "I uh. Know yesterday was a bit of a blunder. But you shouldn't worry too much about it."

Chase stopped, then looked up. He had dark circles under his eyes, and seemed tense.

"… Yeah," he said, putting his hands in his pockets, "I know."

Alpha shifted a bit where he stood, "W-well, good. I wouldn't want my rival to get upset over something as small as a failed mission! Otherwise it'll make my victory over you worthless."

Chase laughed a bit at the comment, "Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He started to walk away, but stopped when he lost his footing and nearly fell over. Alpha took a step forward, and saw the rather dazed look in Chase's eyes.

"… Wait. Did _you_ even sleep last night?"

Chase continued to look forward, and eventually walked past the other up to the deck. What was wrong with him?

Alpha let out a sigh, then started to head the other way back down in the cloud carrier. Maybe Chase just needed some air. He was halfway through the hall when he saw Dax heading the other way. He hesitated for a brief second as he watched the lowlander look outside one of the nearby windows. Maybe Chase just needed to talk to one of his teammates (that usually worked for Alpha).

"Hey! Dax!"

The other teen turned to him with a raised brow.

"… What?"

Alpha paused awkwardly, then scratched the back of his neck, "Ah. Um. You should go talk to Chase. He seems a little out of it at the moment."

Dax continued to watch the other for a second before responding, "If he doesn't want to talk to you, what makes you think Baby Suno would talk to me?"

Alpha looked to the side. Why did he have to run into the problematic one? Before he could say something, an alarm went off. They both flinched as it screeched throughout the hall. Shouts were heard coming down the hall.

"Whats…"

The windows nearby became obscured, and the two of them could see that it was smoke.

"Were we hit by something?" Dax shouted over the alarm.

"I don't think so! We would be going down if that were the case!" Alpha exclaimed back. Obviously something was going on outside, which meant that's where they should go. He let out a small gasp when he remembered that's where Chase was. Knowing him, he'd probably charge head first into danger.

"Let's get on deck!" Alpha shouted. The two ran back up the hall and stairs until they were on the docking area. They both looked around until they saw Chase standing by the side where the smoke was rising from. He saw them running over, and the three of them looked over.

After a second, an orange monsuno rose from below the ship in an attempt to gain altitude. When looking a little closer, they could see someone land on it from the ship.

"It's a jail break!" Alpha shouted. The few people he could think of that could get out would be Tallis or Charlemagne, the later of whom didn't have orange monsuno. It was most likely the Punk Monks rescuing their leader.

"Well then. Let's break out our monsuno," Chase said, taking a core. He turned back to throw it towards one of the cloud hoppers.

"Evo, lau-"

He stopped. Both Alpha and Dax stood and watched as he slowly put down his core and stared at it in his palm.

"….Well? What're you waiting for?" Dax asked. Chase didn't respond, eyes getting a faraway look as he continued to stare. The orange monsuno let out a sound, and swept up and above them into the sky.

Dax growled under his breath, and took a core instead.

"Bioblaze, launch!"

The blue monsuno appeared, letting out a shrill cry as it did. Dax turned to Alpha, who nodded. The two of them turned to Chase, who still seemed to be stuck in thought. Dax let out a curse, and took off onto his monsuno with Alpha.

"Bioblaze, after them!"

The monsuno made a sound, and flew up faster, quickly catching up with the other.

"Should we really just leave Chase there?" Alpha asked, still looking back.

"He has a monsuno. If he decides to join us he can at any time," Dax said, not bothering to take his eyes off the Punk Monks, "Bioblaze, Duel blades!"

The monsuno let out a few blasts at the other. However, the orange monsuno was swifter, dodging easily, even with four people on it.

"Swarmershock, lets go!"

It took a sharp dive down back towards the cloud carrier, narrowly missing Bioblaze.

"After it!" Dax shouted. The monsuno swerved back, trailing behind the Punk Monks. Alpha could see Tallis ordering something, but couldn't make it out. The two monsuno flew down the side of the cloud carrier, each making howls and shrieks. The orange monsuno sharply rounded under it. When Bioblaze followed, however, they lost sight of it.

"Where did it go?" Dax said, looking around as they came to a halt. Alpha heard a sound, and looked up.

"Swarmershock, electro comet!"

Before he could say anything, a blast rained down at them, hitting Bioblaze. Alpha felt his grip loosen. Just as he grabbed at the monsuno, the Punk Monks dove past them, hitting Dax's and making it turn into a blue flash.

Alpha let out a shout as he and Dax started to free fall, the Punk Monks darting down and away from the cloud carrier.

"Deadfall!"

At the sound, Alpha turned to see Bravo atop his monsuno. It dove towards them, falling next to them. Bravo held his hand out for the two. It was only when they leveled out did any of them speak.

"Ah. Thanks for that," Dax sighed, "Owe you one."

Bravo didn't respond (not that he usually did). When the three got back to the top of the deck, there were a few soldiers now taking off in the cloud hoppers, no doubt in pursuit of Dr. Tallis.

"Return," Bravo said. Alpha looked around, wondering if he and Bravo should go with the soldiers or wait for orders. He then noticed that Chase was standing over by the other side of the deck where the Punk Monks took off in. And when Alpha looked over to Dax, the other had a rather angry look in his eyes. Instead of going over to the other, however, Dax went straight for the stairs, not bothering to look back, even when the soldiers started to usher Alpha and Bravo to help with the pursuit.

HLP

Bren had been looking for Tango when the alarms had gone off. Or rather, he had _found_ her, but was still hesitant on approaching her.

Maybe it was her intimidating air, or the way she made him nervous, but he couldn't bring himself to approach her directly when she was actually willing to talk to him. Sure he liked trying to talk to her before, but now that she would probably want to know more about him, would she be interested?

He shook his head. That didn't matter. He would do it.

She was looking around in the garden, humming a little as she did. Bren stayed behind a few rose bushes, trying to figure out the best way to start the conversation. He closed his eyes, bitting his lip in thought. Bragging wouldn't do him good (especially since that didn't' work with his family), and she didn't seem interested in small talk.

"… What are you doing?"

Bren jumped with a small squeak. Tango was crouching next to him, a curious look on her face.

"Ah. Um. I. Ah," he stuttered. He reached over and plucked a few blossoms from the bushes, hiding his red cheeks behind them, "H-H-Here!"

She blinked, then looked down, then back up. Bren did the same, realizing he practically crushed them.

"You do know it's easier to cut them from the stems first," she said. He blinked, and let out a nervous laugh.

"Y-Yeah! I do!" he said, putting them down (which were now reduced to petals), "H-How are you?"

Tango let out a snort, "Fine I suppose. Shouldn't you be with your friends?"

Bren felt his cheeks get redder. Honestly, he wanted to find Chase or Jinja that morning to try and figure out what to do next. Chase was nowhere to be found, and Jinja seemed to be more concerned with her monsuno (which was understandable).

"I-I mean. I like to do other things then hang out with them!" he said, "But. Hypothetically. You haven't seen Chase around have you?"

Tango shook her head, then pointed behind herself, "No, but the monk boy is over there if you want to talk to him."

Bren groaned a little. Beyal was probably just meditating or something, but decided to look over there anyway. He and Tango both peeked through a bundle of lavender bushels to see the monk standing over by the pond. It was a little strange, now that Bren was looking closer.

Usually, Beyal would be sitting rather then standing, and he had a dazed look in his eyes. His lips also moved as if he were speaking, but didn't actually say anything.

"He's a bit off if you ask me," Tango said, "Kind of like you."

Bren shot her a look, "What's that supposed to mean?"

She giggled, and he felt his heart flutter. But still. This was a little strange, even for Beyal.

"… What's wrong?" Tango asked. Before Bren could answer, she suddenly gasped a little. He looked over and saw her gripping her head.

"Tango? A-Are you okay?" he said quietly. She shook her head.

"I-I'll be fine… Just… Hurt a little… All of a sudden," she said.

Then the alarms went off. Bren let out a cry, and Tango immediately leapt to her feet. She paused for a second before gasping.

"There's something going on in the jail block. We have to go!" she said, taking off for the door without hesitating. Bren tried to tell her to wait, but she was already halfway out the door. Bren cast one last glance to Beyal, who didn't seem to notice the alarms at all, and took off after her.

"H-Hold on!" he exclaimed. Tango stopped at the junction of the halls, glancing around.

"Well then hurry up!" she said, then stopped when she looked down one of the halls. When Bren came close to catch his breath, he saw it was Chase's mom running towards them.

"W-What's going on?" she asked.

"An… Attack," Bren huffed, "You should… Go back to the… Apartment…"

He continued to huff as the two watched. He needed to get into shape-

"No."

Bren looked up a bit exasperated, "Huh?"

Sophia had a resolute look on her face, "I have a bad feeling about this. And I can tell Chase might be in trouble. I need to find him."

"Hey! Wait!," Bren exclaimed, when the woman took off down the hall they came from. He let out a sigh when she was gone, "Great. Chase'll kill me if something happens to her."

"Don't worry about it Bren. Beyal is still there," Tango said with a smile, then turned serious, "Besides, we need to worry about the prisoners."

Bren looked to her, and nodded as they took off down the hall. Even if Beyal was a bit on the spacey side right now, he could still keep Chase's mom safer then the other S.T.O.R.M. operatives.

A few other soldiers past them up as they ran. There was a roar, and Bren and Tango looked out one of the larger windows nearby and saw an orange monsuno sweep against the side of the cloud carrier. Only a few seconds later did a blue one follow. The two watched before letting out gasps.

"That's Dax!"

"And Alpha!"

"Hurry! We need to get to the top before they're gone!" Bren exclaimed. He took one step before Tango grabbed his wrist.

"Hold on," she said, "We should go down to the jail in case others escape. So far, it only looks like Tallis got out. And I trust Alpha to catch him."

Bren hesitated. He knew he should put more faith in the others, but at the same time, he knew Chase would probably feel terrible to know someone else managed to get out. Except...

He looked up to see Tango giving him a determined look, and he let out a sigh.

"Alright. Let's go!"

She nodded, and they started to head down the hall again. They had to take a few flights of stairs to get to the jail block. A few soldiers stood by the occupied ones, some shouts being heard because of the ruckus. Bren looked around until he saw the crowd of soldiers, including-

"Jinja!"

The red-haired girl looked over at the call, as did Chase's dad who was next to her.

"Oh Bren," she said, "Good timing. It looks like Dr. Tallis escaped!"

"Alpha and Dax are already on that," he said, "Did anyone else try to get out?"

Jinja shook her head, "Not that I can tell. Although…"

At that moment, two soldiers stepped out from the cell, followed by Charlemagne, who simply looked ahead with an angry gaze. Bren shuddered at the look, as if to try and kill someone with it alone. The soldiers led her down the other hall, not saying a word.

"Wait. Charlemagne tried to escape?" Bren asked.

"Not quite," Jeredy said, "Tallis made some sort of explosive. I'm not sure how he managed to, but it took out his and Charlemagne's cells. The real question is why she wouldn't bother to go with them."

"She probably knew better," Trey said, also coming out from the cell, "Tallis is a bit of a chaotic force. Who knows what he is planning. We should be able to catch him soon to find out though, especially since his companion is still here."

"Wait. He didn't take Drezz with him?" Jeredy asked. Trey shook his head.

"Nope. And they're not turning back either," the commander said, then sighed, "That's twice in one week did we have a breach in security. We'll have to move him and Charlemagne just in case this happens again-"

 _"I wouldn't be so hasty."_

They all turned to see Jon Ace walking into the hall to join them, though he looked a little under the weather.

"Commandant Marshall!" Trey said with a salute, then eased a little, "What did you mean by that?"

"I was just at the maximum security prison in the lowlands. It was breached as well, "Jon said with a serious look, "And by none other then our little friends from the other day."

Jinja let out a gasp, "You mean the Hand of Destiny?"

"Unfortunately," Jon said, "The best thing we can do is keep a closer watch on the few prisoners we have left. It appears they're trying to form alliances, and the last thing we need is to be overwhelmed by them and whatever they have planned."

Trey seemed a bit hesitant, but nodded. His walkie went off suddenly, and he was forced to answer.

"What is it?" he asked.

" _BZZZ… COMMANDER… IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE ESCAPED."_

They all stood silently for a moment before Trey let out a sigh.

 _"BZZ… ALPHA AND DAX WERE BOTH IN PURSUIT, BUT WERE OVERCOME BY THE ENEMY… BZZ… OTHER OPERATIVES HAVE SAID THEY'RE NOW OUT OF RANGE. SHOULD WE STILL TRY TO TAKE THEM?"_

Trey looked up to Jon, who shook his head slowly. The commander let out a sigh before responding.

"Negative. Come back to base," he said. Jon tapped Jeredy's shoulder, and motioned to speak to him alone. The scientist raised a brow, but followed anyway.

Bren couldn't help but sigh. Maybe he and Tango should've gone to help. He looked over to talk to said girl, but saw her speaking to Trey, who seemed to be giving orders to everyone. Bren sighed, and turned to Jinja instead.

"… Hey Jinja," he said, "Let's go find the others. I think Chase'll want to hear this."

For a moment, she hesitated.

"I'm… Not sure about that," she said honestly, "Sure Chase _would_ like to know this, but there's something about the way he's getting worked up over this that's a little…"

Bren raised a brow, "C'mon Jinja. Let's just say something and then come up with a plan later. I'm pretty sure we'll need to anyway if S.T.O.R.M. wants to try and catch Tallis again."

She couldn't disagree with that, and Bren knew this. She let out a sigh.

"Fine. I suppose," she said as they started to walk down the hall, "I hope Chase doesn't come up with the plan of running off again."

"I know. The last time that happened we all had a fight," Bren chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. He heard Jinja stop, and looked behind him.

"… Jinja?"

She shifted on her feet a little, then shook her head, "No. It's nothing. We'll talk about it later."

* * *

A/N: Officially on hiatus until January.

Until then, Review Review Review!


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: Hello! Beta is back from break (and grumpy as ever), but here's a (long) chapter! There's a bit of a plot dump towards the middle/end, if one could call it that. Hopefully it satisfies considering the action that will take place in the next few chapters.

Enjoy!

* * *

The little one was somewhere in their hideout. At least, that's what Hargrave thought. He hadn't seen the whelp since Klipse left with the other cloaked person (not that he minded), and the larger one had yet to return since yesterday. The old man let out a sigh at that. He didn't care much about what Klipse was planning, but there was certainly something that didn't sit right with him when he was in the same room as those creeps. He got a rather bad feeling every time he caught a glimpse of one of them, something that still bothered him even though he had seen worse within the years of working under Klipse.

Six had also strangely gone missing since they came back, but he was an odd one regardless of what was going on. Hargrave had a feeling that the clone was also getting uneasy about these new allies, if that's what they could even call them. Regardless, everything would be over with soon once Klipse gets his monsuno army.

The elevator lift could be heard, a signal that either Klipse had returned or that someone had triggered it. Hargrave let out a sigh, going to the main hall to greet them. Sure enough, it was his master.

"Good evening Sir. I take it everything went alright?" Hargrave said a bit mindlessly, now thinking more about what to make for dinner. Klipse didn't respond, walking past him. The old man raised a brow until he saw the look in the other's eyes. The side's of his mouth were twitching upward in a bit of a sinister smile, eyes wide with glee.

"Hargrave," he said, lowly, "Go find Six and tell him to come here. And make sure the training bay is clear of everything! We'll need that space for something more... Important."

The butler hesitated for a moment, but nodded anyway and went for the door. When he turned, he saw the brown-haired teen from before being trailed by two others who were unfamiliar. Hargrave knew better then to stare or ask questions, and simply went for the door to the other hall.

He was about half way to Six's room when he saw the raven-haired boy from the group sitting against one of the walls, tossing something up and down. When he got closer, Hargrave could see that it was a vial of monsuno essence.

"What are you doing with that? You better not have stolen that you little runt," the old man hissed. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble for something these people caused. The boy stopped, looking up with disinterest towards the man. He didn't say anything, but pocketed the energy instead. Hargrave huffed a little, and continued to walk down to find Six. He didn't have time to deal with him.

"... I'm guessing they returned," the boy said. Hargrave stopped, glancing over his shoulder.

"Of course. Now go bother them instead," he said, and kept walking. He didn't hear the boy get up, and assumed he decided to stay put. As long as he was out of the way that was fine.

Hargrave reached Six's room, or what could be called his room. Sure there was a bed, a chair, and a desk, but there's wasn't much of anything else in it (not that Six could, or would, decorate). The old man glanced around, not seeing the teen inside, and let out a sigh. He was probably wandering around somewhere else.

Going further down the hall, Hargrave ended up at the other place he was supposed to check, training area: a large room where there was plenty of space to battle multiple monsuno if the need arose (which was every other day Klipse created a new monsuno). In the middle of the room where it dipped down, Six was standing there as he watched Serno launch blasts towards the other end. There was a unsatisfied look on his face, though it was hard to tell why.

"Six! Your father wishes to speak with you!" Hargrave called out. The clone didn't seem to hear, and continued to order his monsuno. The old man let out a frustrated sound.

"I'm sure he wants you to show our new guests around!" he tried again. There was a pause, and Six lowered his core. At least that got his attention. The teen seemed to enjoy new people (and new things in general). Hargrave turned to walk down the hall, and let out a surprised yelp when the boy from before now stood a few steps behind him.

"Jeez! Weren't you taught any manner?!" the old man hissed. He hadn't even heard the boy. Did he follow the whole way down the hall?

"... You said 'other guests'. Who?" the boy asked, green eyes narrowed. Hargrave sneered a little.

"How should I know? They're part of your group," he replied, hardly noticing the boy's eyes widening at the comment, "And give back that vial. You should know that it's rude to- hey!"

The boy took off back down the hall, a panicked look on his face as he did. The old man let out a exhaustive sigh.

"I swear I'm too old for this job," he said, then turned back to Six. The teen finally summoned back his monsuno, now walking over to the butler. The two started to walk down the hall. Hargrave couldn't help but notice Six falling behind by a few steps, as if hesitating. Strange, though the clone was a strange one in general.

They had reached the main room where Klipse most likely retired to, and saw the man sitting in his chair, hands folded in front of himself in contemplation. His eyes trailed over to the two of them when they entered.

"Six. I need to speak to you," he said in a low voice, "And Hargrave. Hurry and contact _them_. And see if Tallis' group would be willing to cooperate without him. I doubt he's managed to get out of S.T.O.R.M. by now."

The butler bowed a little before heading to the next room where he could start making calls and messages to the other members of Eklipse. Since there wasn't a lot going on lately with S.T.O.R.M. cracking down on crime, surely the different mercenaries would spring at the chance to cause trouble (hopefully someone other then Dom Pyro). As he left, Hargrave could hear the murmurs from Klipse, a hint of delight in them as he spoke.

HLP

It was late in the afternoon when Dax finally got back to the flat they all used, plopping on the nearest couch with a satisfying sigh. He spent the majority of the day trying to help track down Tallis, though it was hard to do when he was trying to keep an eye on Chase.

Of course, the other teen seemed to be bothered by something else, and promptly avoided him as soon as the soldiers started to crowd the landing platform. Either way, Dax had other things to focus on at the time. Whatever Chase's problem was would have to be dealt with later, if only because the lowlander was downright exhausted with the day, and it wasn't just because he didn't get much sleep the night before.

He stared up at the ceiling. Now thinking about last night's phone call, Dax pulled out his cell intending to call back. Maybe Trish found something out. And maybe he could talk to-

The doors to the apartment opened, and he pocketed the phone as fast as he could. Jinja and Bren walked in, both looking a bit sullen.

"Oi. What's up you two?" Dax asked as they sat on some of the nearby chairs.

"What else? More problems with the Hand of Destiny," Bren sighed, slumping back in his seat. He pulled out the Core Tablet, and started to tap away.

"We couldn't find any trace of Tallis," Jinja said, "I mean. We all looked and found nothing, but that's a little weird don't you think? For him to just up and leave without any sign? We weren't even able to track him on the surveillance system. It's like he disappeared in thin air."

"… That does sound strange," Dax said as he sat up. It was a lot harder to track someone who has been airborne, but even the Punk Monks' monsuno had to time out and be called back at some point. Even on the ground there wasn't a single clue as to which way they were heading, especially since their last base was destroyed.

 _"Not to mention how he left Drezz behind."_

They all turned at the new voice to see Chase standing in the doorway, a rather disturbed look in his eyes.

"And where have you been?" Dax said a bit angrily, ignoring what the teen said, "We've been flying and looking for hours. What was so important that you couldn't help?"

Bren glanced back and forth between them, and sat up straight.

"He's got a point," he said hesitantly, "I mean. I know it's a little difficult to get your head in the game with everything going on, but we could've used the extra man power out there."

Jinja glared at Bren for a brief moment before he cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I-I meant 'work force.'"

Jinja continued to eye the other before looking to Chase with a softer gaze, "Chase... Is there something going on? We all know that this stuff with the Hand of Destiny is bothering you, but could-"

"No. It's not that Jinja," Chase interrupted, then looked up with a tired look in his eyes, "With my monsuno I… Actually, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Well… Okay then," Jinja said, unsure if she should press the issue, "Maybe you could talk to your dad about it then. If it has to do with monsuno maybe he'll know. Or maybe even your mom."

There was a panicked look in Chase's eyes for a brief moment as he turned away.

"N-Nah. I would rather not get her involved... Again," he stuttered. Dax narrowed his eyes, noticing how tense Chase had gotten at the mere mention of his mother, but it wasn't tension at all. Dax knew that much. It was fear.

"Well... Maybe you ought to talk to Beyal," Jinja said, then glanced around, "... Where is he anyway?"

"I saw him in the garden earlier when I was with-" Bren started, then stopped as his cheeks got red.

"... With?" Chase asked, a bit curious now. Suddenly, Dax felt his phone start to vibrate. He ignored it for a moment before it continued. Someone was trying to call.

"Ah. Um. With Tango," Bren said, a giddy smile spreading across his reddening face. Jinja started to smirk.

"Aww. Our little Breny is growing up," she said, making Chase laugh a little. Bren's smile soon turned to a frown.

"H-Hey! Weren't we talking about something else!" he said hurriedly.

"Oh, yeah. Monkboy," Dax said, standing up. He kept his hand in his pocket, careful to keep the phone quiet, "I'll just go find him. Sit tight."

He didn't give them time to protest as he left the room. He walked a good distance away from the apartment before taking his phone out. With one last glance down the halls to see if they were empty, he pushed 'accept.'

"Hello?"

 _"… Dax? Thank goodness, I thought you were avoiding me."_

Dax let out a sigh. It was Trish again. Her voice had a bit of panic in it, which must've meant something was wrong.

"What's going on? Did you see Klipse or his thugs in the lowlands?" he asked. There was a bit of hesitation.

 _"… Something like that,_ " she said, voice wavering, _"I heard from some people in town that they saw someone with red cores heading out towards Axistown. There's a good chance that they're planning something there."_

Dax stayed silent, watching a few clouds go by in the moonlight.

"What did they look like?"

Another pause.

 _"They… I saw someone who looked like Klipse. I think he's going there himself."_

"Okay," he responded, but didn't say anything immediately. He could tell something was wrong in the way she hesitated. And his gut told him that there was something not right about this. Almost as if...

"Hey Trish," he said, "Is that all you saw? There was no one else with Klipse?"

 _"No. No one at all. He was by himself,_ " she said, then paused again before quickly responding _, "I think you should go Dax. It might have something to do with what you're looking for."_

He let a sigh out. Something was definitely wrong. Trish was being too quick with her responses, and there was a small bit of fear in her voice as she spoke. And there was no way Klipse would wander on his own somewhere, especially to a public place after he just got out. Knowing him, he'd send Six or his weird butler to do it. Which meant one thing. It was a trap.

"I'll take a look around when I get the time," Dax said casually, looking down the hall again.

 _"N-No. I think you should go now,_ " she said, " _T-There's a good chance that he'll be gone before you can catch him."_

"I guess so," he said, already knowing that his hunch was probably right just from her reaction. He didn't make the move to hang up, and listened intently. He could hear shifting in the background, "… Was there something else that you wanted?"

 _"I... I still think you should talk to Spike,_ " Trish said in a slower hushed tone, _"He's... Been getting a lot worse lately, and I don't know what to do... He talks about these... monsters or whatever, and he keeps trying to leave. And I know he wouldn't do well if he does. Dax, if you don't do something soon, he's going to lose it."_

Dax let out a small laugh under his breath. He knew that the two of them would eventually have to talk about Spike again. That was a given, "And what makes you so sure he would even want to talk to me? We didn't exactly see eye to eye when we last saw each other."

He heard Trish sigh, " _'Cause you to were inseparable at the old orphanage. I'm sure if you just talk, even for a little bit..."_

He looked to the side through one of the large windows lining the wall, watching as the clouds disappeared. Seeing the clear skies reminded him of the lowlands, so much that it kind of hurt. He could think back to gazing up at them without a care in the world, with all his old pals from back home... After a minute of silence, he let out a sigh.

"I don't think I could," he said quietly, "I'm... Pretty sure I'd make it worse. And I wouldn't want to burden you with that."

Leaving her no time to protest, Dax hung up, and immediately turned his phone off. Sure avoiding the problem wasn't a solution, but he didn't have time for this, not when the rest of the world was in trouble.

As he started to walk down the hall again, he couldn't help but chuckle under his at that last thought. Since when did he become so nobel? The last time he did something so selfish was when he agreed to run errands for Dr. Suno, and even then that was because he figured he'd get repaid tenfold (which was hardly the case in the end).

Rounding the corner, Dax shook his head. Maybe it was time to get away from that type of thinking. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he ended up running into someone.

"Oh. My bad," he mumbled, then looked down to see it was Beyal, who blinked for a moment up at him.

"… Dax? Was there something you needed?" the monk responded, a faraway look in his eyes slowly fading away. Dax raised a brow. He had probably been sleeping or something.

"Yeah. We gotta go meet up with everyone else. After what happened earlier… Well… Let's just go, everyone's waiting in the flat," Dax shrugged, then turned around. Beyal followed a few steps behind.

"… What happened earlier?" he asked. Dax stopped, and raised a brow.

"What do you mean what happened? Don't tell me you were able to sleep through all that commotion from this afternoon," Dax said. Beyal looked confused, and shuffled uncomfortably for a moment.

"Well… I wasn't exactly sleeping," he said.

"What were you doin' then? Picking daisies?" Dax chuckled. Beyal didn't say anything, and stopped after a few steps. He hd a rather puzzled look on his face as he stood there staring at the ground.

"… Uh. You alright there?" Dax asked, guessing he said something wrong. Slowly, the monk shook his head.

"… No. It's nothing," he said, still looking down. Dax raised a brow, but shrugged. He was probably still bothered by not remembering what happened to him and Chase back in the ruins (which was understandable).

The two of them got back relatively fast, the other three now siting in a small circle.

"Found him! Now, back to what we were talking about," Dax said, plopping back down in his spot on the couch as Beyal lightly sat down next to him. Jinja cast a look at the two before looking at Chase, who was staring down at the floor. The room grew silent after that, no body making an effort to speak. Eventually, Chase let out a sigh.

"I suppose I'll just say it now, seeing that keeping things bottled up has always seemed to backfire," he laughed bitterly, then took a breath, "In the ruins I saw… I saw a nightmare like before when the Hand of Destiny tried to lure me and Beyal away that one night."

Jinja blinked for a second, before putting a thumb to her chin in thought, "Oh. Right. That night when-"

She stopped, her cheeks suddenly growing red. The others all looked a bit confused as she tried to get it under control. Bren suddenly let out a gasp, then slyly started to giggle.

"Oh yeah. When you and your frog prince kissed," he said, now enjoying how the tables had turned. Beyal turned just as red at the comment, and Dax tried not to as well. That was probably one of the few instances that Jinja went on impulse and openly showed her feelings towards one of them. Sure it was in the moment, but it certainly set the tone for the relationship between the girl and her friends.

Of course, Dax remembered clearly the night in the canyon when Jinja once again impulsively reacted and kissed him as well (something he couldn't help but try and forget).

"Um… Anyway," Chase said, clearing his throat to get their attention, "There was someone else there in the vision. Well. After I saw Master Ey."

That immediately got Beyal's attention, "You saw my master?"

"Y-yeah," Chase nodded, "He was vague, but I'm sure he was talking about the Hand of Destiny and what they're planning. It has something to do with the monsuno themselves. Whoever these new people from the Hand are, I don't think their goals are the same as Petros and the rest."

Bren crossed his arms in thought, "That's true. That kid in the base was after monsuno essence, though that's a little weird since they don't have monsuno. They don't really have a use for it."

"… But Klipse _does_ ," Dax said, staring down at the floor as he leaned forward, "That's why they probably got him out of prison. He's one of the few people out there who would know what to even do with monsuno essence."

Chase suddenly let out a gasp, "Of course!"

"What?"

"That's what Drezz was saying!"

The four of them stared for a minute as Chase looked back with a confused look.

"… Did I say something wrong?"

"Yeah. Since when did you talk to Drezz?" Dax asked, giving him a look. Chase rolled his eyes.

"I talked to him earlier when everyone went after Tallis and the Punk Monks," he replied, "After Jon moved him and Charlemagne to another part of the ship, I thought I'd be worthwhile to ask why he was left behind."

The other four exchanged looks. It was an odd move for Chase to think more about his next move rather then react and charge forward like the rest of them did. Still, there was obviously something important that Chase found out seeing that's what he did for the rest of the afternoon.

"So? What did you find out?" Jinja asked.

HLP

 _Chase walked down the hall, core tight in his palm. Everyone else was still on the lookout for Tallis and his goons, thought that was the furthest thing from his mind. The past day had been going by in a slow blur, if only because he tried not to think about last night. It was hard considering every time he closed his eyes, there were flashes from his vision from before. Shaking his head, he continued down the hall._

 _It wasn't just the fact that it was the image of his mother that he was seeing, but the way it made his heart race. Almost as if her mere presence was affecting him. Even when he tried to spin out his monsuno earlier, flashes of her menacing smile flooded his vision. It made him freeze up, and that was the last thing he needed. Still, he would have to deal with it later. Right now, he had to focus on finding out about the Hand of Destiny._

 _It didn't take long for him to get to the end where the high-class prisoners were moved. With a breath, Chase opened the door. Inside, he saw the leader of the Punk Monks sitting against the furthest wall, a tired look on his face as he turned towards the teen._

 _"'Sup Suno," Drezz said with a grin, not bothering to get up, "I'm guessing you're not here to say 'hi'."_

 _Chase closed the door behind him, noting the cuffs around Drezz's hands. At least there was some precaution in case the guy tried something._

 _"… No. Not really," Chase said, then walked to the middle of the room, keeping some distance between the two of them, "I want to know everything you know about the Hand of Destiny."_

 _"Getting to the point there pretty quick," Drezz said, leaning forward, "I liked that about you."_

 _Chase shrugged lightly, "So? What do you know about these new guys around?"_

 _"You don't know? That's a bit of a surprise since they seemed to know exactly who you are," Drezz said, "Although. There's hardly anyone out there that doesn't know who you are."_

 _"Humor me then."_

 _Drezz glanced at Chase before letting out a small chuckle, "Alright. I suppose I could give you a hint, seeing that I'm probably not going to be leaving here anytime soon all things considered."_

 _He rolled his shoulders, then leaned back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling._

 _"Those people, or whatever you want to call them, have been collecting monsuno essence for the past few months. They got Tallis to help speed that along, even though we mostly did underground dealings with other groups outside of Klipse. Wasn't too hard either with that guy locked up. In fact, I'm pretty sure we could've been on top of things in another month or two."_

 _Drezz's gaze fell, and he stared off to the side._

 _"… What happened?" Chase asked, hesitantly._

 _"The Hand of Destiny showed up. Or at least those weirdos claiming to be them," Drezz responded, eyes narrowing as he continued to look down at his hands, "They wanted to enlist Klipse for his help and… Connections. So Tallis and them came up with a plan to help break Klipse out."_

 _"But it failed and you got caught," Chase said smugly. To his surprise, Drezz started to chuckle._

 _"Nah. We were meant to get caught," he said, then glanced over to the teen, "Too bad for you guys it wasn't obvious."_

 _Chase stared, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth. There was a good chance this was just a ruse of some kind, but the more Chase thought about it, the less it made sense._

 _"You're lying," he finally said, "There's no way you guys would come here on purpose."_

 _"I'm afraid not," Drezz said, "Supposed to be getting some secret object from here. I doubt it's here seeing that Tallis bailed."_

 _Chase raised a brow. An item? What could the Hand possibly be looking for if they already had monsuno essence and Klipse on their side. And they already made it clear that they weren't after his parents. So what was it..._

 _"… Trying to figure it out?" Drezz asked with a raised brow, then laughed again, "Don't think too hard. You'll probably find out soon anyway."_

 _..._

 _..._

"… And?" Bren asked as Chase concluded, the rest of them all silently listening.

"Well… Apparently, those guys from the Hand of Destiny were working with Tallis and his group for a few weeks now, maybe even months," Chase said with a frown, "According to Drezz, they're looking for something else now. Something that S.T.O.R.M. had."

Bren raised a brow, "What is it?"

"Dunno. Drezz wouldn't say," the raven-haired teen replied, then slumped back in his chair, "It's weird though. He was surprisingly okay with being left behind by Tallis."

"Why is that weird?" Beyal asked. Chase hesitated for a second.

"Well… He said that they planned on being caught, but he didn't seem like he was in a hurry to leave."

"Don't you think it was just because he couldn't get out in time to meet up with Tallis? I mean, I'm sure he's clever enough to get out a S.T.O.R.M. cell pretty easily," Jinja said.

Chase scratched his head in thought, "You got me there. Even I couldn't get that out of Drezz."

"Wait. So how much did he tell you exactly?" Dax asked.

"Everything that I said," Chase said with a sigh, "He said the Hand was looking for something, but didn't say what. He said that they teamed up with Tallis, and were planning on teaming up with Klipse, but nothing about what they're planning on doing."

"So for all we know this could just be some sort of ploy," Bren muttered, now looking down at the core tablet. They all grew silent after that. Chase took a breath. He didn't think Drezz was trying to pull a fast one on them. He didn't even ask for a deal. Almost as if he didn't want to go back...

Before any of them could say anything, the door burst open, Chase's dad storming inside and spotting him immediately.

"Chase! There you are!" Jeredy said, a small bit of relief in his voice. Chase immediately got to his feet, seeing the panic on his father's face.

"Dad. What is it?" he asked. Jeredy hesitated for a moment, as if unsure of what to say. He shook his head, then stared intensely at his son.

"I'm afraid your mother collapsed. She's in the hospital wing right now."

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thanks to JinjaxChaseForever and monsuno power for the reviews!

JinjaxChaseForever : so happy that your excited!

monsuno power: Yeah, a lot's going to be happening in the next few chapters. Another plot dump, but that's cause things are starting to pick up really quick (like a lot of stuff is going to be happening next week that I'm really excited for)

Enjoy!

* * *

 _"Who are you?"_

 _The wind started to pick up as the group stared down the woman, now clutching the small bundle to her chest. They didn't say anything, and she started to tense up, not daring to lose eye contact with them. More specifically, the man with green eyes and dark grey hair that led them. He took a step forward._

 _"You'll have to come with us," he said, holding a hand out to her. She grit her teeth. There was something wrong about these people, that was for sure. She would have to think quick, since fighting wasn't an option, not with her child there to protect._

 _There was a shift, and she quickly looked down to the baby in her arms, who was now starting to stir, as if he knew there was something wrong as well. She looked back up, knowing that she would have to confront them._

 _"... First, tell me who you are," she demanded, trying to stall. Maybe if his father gets back soon..._

 _There was an explosion down in the town. She looked and gasped, seeing a plume of smoke rise. Screams from people soon followed, along with roars from some sort of beasts._

 _The man leading took a step forward, now chuckling darkly under his breath as he slowly stared to approach the two, never taking his eyes off them._

 _"Now. You'll do what we say, or we'll burn this city to the ground!"_

HLP

The group ran through the halls of the S.T.O.R.M. cloud carrier in a rather frantic fashion. When Jeredy made the announcement, his son didn't even bother asking what had happened, and decided to take off without a second thought. Of course, he didn't know where he was going, but somehow ended up going in the direction of the hospital wing anyway.

Jeredy shook his head. He had been talking to Jon prior to getting an alert from one of the guards about finding his wife in the garden, unresponsive. His heart definitely stopped when he got that message, and knew that he'd have to find Chase as soon as possible. Now, the two of them were rushing as fast as they could down the hall, Chase's friends trailing behind them. It didn't take them long to get to the hospital wing, or even to find the room where Sophia was.

It was petrifying to see her lying in the bed, in the blank white room. She had a distressed look on her face, but didn't respond when they opened the door and entered. Jeredy stood numbly in the doorway as Chase ran to her side.

"Mom! Mom! What happened!" he exclaimed, hands gripping the sides of the bed until his knuckles turned white. Her eyes remained closed as her chest slowly rose and fell. Jeredy soon snapped out of his daze, and took a few steps towards his family, noticing a doctor nearby.

"What happened?" he asked, trying not to let his voice waver. The doctor, who was an old man with a pronounced mustache, looked over with a clipboard.

"Well. I'm afraid I can't say for sure," he said, scratching his head, "Some of the guards found her in the garden, unconscious. Her vitals are all okay, but she's unresponsive to everything..."

Jeredy took a steady breath, seeing Chase looking up to the two of them as they spoke, "So what does that mean?"

The doctor looked down at his clipboard, "I can't say for sure. Physically she's fine... But that could mean something else can be going on with her higher brain activity. We'll run some tests in a few hours."

Jeredy nodded slowly, watching as the doctor left, scooting past Chase's friends as they crowded in the doorway. None of them made the move to enter, and Jeredy knew why just from the look on his son's face. With a sigh, the man turned to the group and made the motion for them to give them some privacy. They left immediately without another sound.

After closing the door, Jeredy let out a sigh, turning back to Chase. He wanted to speak to him ever since the mission from yesterday, wondering what was going on with him just based on what Jinja was saying. Jeredy got other information from the other group members that were with his son that day (mostly from the Strike Squad) and from what he could understand, Chase was just being himself. Fired up and charging in head first. Of course, that was the last thing his son needed to be doing now that he was the team leader of S.T.O.R.M., something that still amazed Jeredy.

He walked to the teen's side as he looked down at Sophia, clutching onto her hand as if to get a response. When she didn't Jeredy put a hand on Chase's shoulder.

"Son... I," he started. Chase shook his hand away.

"... Dad," he said a bit faintly, not taking his eyes of his mother, "Is... Is this my fault?"

Jeredy couldn't help but look shocked at his son. Chase took his silence as an answer, and let out a sigh.

"I mean... The Hand of Destiny has been after me for so long... And then they took mom, and tried to kill you and me, and my friends-"

"Chase," Jeredy said resolutely, taking a hold of both his shoulders and turning him so they faced each other. Chase let his gaze fall, now looking at the ground with a sullen look, "Listen. None of this is on you. The Hand... They've always been after your mother. If anything, you should blame me for all this."

Chase looked up, eyes still saddened. Jeredy let go, and turned away.

"If I had been around more... If I hadn't tried to unlocked the secrets to monsuno... Then maybe... Maybe all of this could've been avoided," he said, trailing off. The scientist did have regrets about his choices in the past, especially when it came to his research, driven by the passion to create and expand. He should've known better. Even after meeting Emmanuel and his ideals, and even after Sophia went missing, Jeredy didn't stop.

"Dad... I-"

There was a knock at the door, and the two looked over to see Jon slowly enter. He nodded to Chase as a greeting, and turned to Jeredy with a serious look.

"Doctor, I need to speak to you. It's urgent," he said.

"Can this wait Jon," Jeredy responded, taking a step towards Chase. Jon shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. It concerns... Undisclosed information," Jon said, casting a weary look at Chase for a brief second. Jeredy let out a sigh, then nodded. The two of them went for the door, giving one last glance inside the room before closing the door. The commandant motioned for him to follow. When they reached inside one of the meeting rooms, Jon locked the door before sitting in one of the chairs.

"I take it you heard of the full report from the prison?" he asked. Jeredy raised a brow.

"Why would I?"

Jon sighed, leaning forward as he threaded his fingers together in front of him, "Another part of the mystery behind Charlemagne's past was revealed today. The one that the group from the Hand of Destiny was after was a man who developed Driftblade."

Jeredy gasped. He had never questioned where the monsuno had come from, even though he knew it was one of the most powerful ones out there. Even working with it and making it his own, some of the information surrounding it was a mystery.

"So.. Who was it?" he asked. The commandant looked forward, eyes narrowing into a serious gaze.

"A scientist from long ago, back before she was only a soldier. Supposedly, he was arrested for causing an accident while creating Driftblade that resulted in the destruction of one of the S.T.O.R.M. laboratories, and almost destroying some of the city it was taking place in." Jon said, "However... Later it was seen as faulty equipment, and yet, she made sure to keep him in prison..."

"I see..." Jeredy said, thinking for a moment. The fact that Charlemagne sent many people to prison wasn't a difficult idea to process. She had probably sent more then a fair amount of innocent people through all types of hell just for her own goals. Jon had taken up a big responsibility to help sort through the mess she left in her wake. However...

"Why was the Hand of Destiny after them?" Jeredy asked, "Why just him? Why not other scientists? Some who are still working in labs? Surely they would have more information about S.T.O.R.M. and it's current doings."

Jon let out a sigh, "That's just it. It's a dead end. They've been after monsuno essence for the past few months, and only now are they starting to act."

Jeredy could see the other thinking intensely, brows furrowing in dismay. He let out a sigh.

"It feels like we're missing something. Who knows what they're up to," Jon said, "I guess we'll just have to keep our guard up for now."

Jeredy nodded, then turned to the door to head back to the hospital wing. He wanted to stay at Sophia's side for as long as possible, and hopefully talk to Chase while he was at it. The teen probably wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, and he wanted to make sure his son was alright.

"By the way," Jon said as the other reached for the door, "Something... Happened today."

"What do you mean?" Jeredy asked, turning back.

Jon hesitated, "Well... Earlier at the prison, there was a rather strange dust left on the walls. We brought back a sample for you to study. But... There was a reaction to it."

"Reaction? What kind of a reaction?" Jeredy asked. With a heavy sigh, the commandant reached into his coat and produced an empty vial. After a moment, Jeredy saw it was the vial that he gave Jon to help control his Toxic side.

"You. You didn't. Did you?" he asked. With relief, Jon shook his head.

"Luckily I managed to keep control. It wasn't easy, though. I have a feeling that the dust is made up of some sort of monsuno essence, even though it wasn't in a liquid form," Jon said, then went over and handed the vial back, "For now, I guess I'll just have to stay out of the field. Wouldn't want to lose control again..."

"Jon. You know that wouldn't happen," Jeredy said, "You're not under the influence of Klipse anymore, so there's no way he can control you. I'll make sure not to let that happen again."

The two exchanged looks, and Jon let out a sigh. He nodded, and the two left the room.

HLP

Everything was falling into place. It took a long time, but the final details were getting dealt with, which meant they could enact their plan. It hadn't been easy after all, considering too many of the Hand of Destiny's resources were taken when S.T.O.R.M. infiltrated after the incident with Suno. But now, with Eklipse and the Forge Resistance at their disposal, nothing stood in their way.

Ehna scoffed a little. The Hand of Destiny certainly had it's flaws considering how easily it was taken out by a single teenager, even more when viewed from the inside. They hadn't trusted many, and the few they did, they terminated in the end. And when they finally had someone helping them, he turned out to be their downfall. All of them probably somewhere at the bottom of the ocean.

Yet. Here stood the remaining few that the Hand desperately clung to in some attempt to find the key to monsuno. Ironic seeing that even the ones that the Hand disposed of were now alive and kicking.

"... So what is this last thing that you need?"

Ehna glanced up to Duo, snapping out of his thoughts. She had been rather quiet, moving slowly from getting a new body, but also out of distrust for the teen.

"... Besides the scrolls, we'll need to get to the location to the fourth seal," he replied, "We never reached it in our search for the Hand, but it's the final place we need to go to in order to complete the shadow effect. And once there, we can-"

There was the sound of something on the far side of the room, and the two of them looked over to see someone else enter. Ehna immediately recognized the raven haired boy. He had almost forgotten about that one.

Duo also spotted him, and she simply stared with curiosity at this child with a dark cloak like theirs. The boy didn't hesitate to come over, but was soon stopped when Pente snuck up on him and pounced on top. Exi let out a gasp as he hit the ground, trying to push the other off.

"Oh ho ho! Who is this?" Pente exclaimed, a smile stretching across his face, "Huh. No wonder you're not familiar."

"G-Get off!" Exi shouted, still struggling to get back up. Pente grabbed one of his hands that flailed out, and paused for a moment. Curious, he gripped the smaller's wrist to keep it stiff and removed the glove. He stared to grin madly, tracing his fingertips around the green crystal inlaid in the boy's palm.

"I thought I felt something familiar!" he said, then turned to Ehna, "Why didn't you say there were more of us?"

"Because you didn't need to know that," Ehna said with a huff, "Now get off. We need him."

The one on top made an annoyed sound, but complied. Immediately, Exi scrambled up to his feet, staring back and forth between the two newcomers. He couldn't help but marvel at the rather odd looking pair, that being an extremely tall woman with silver hair and tanned skin, and the man with dark gray hair and covered eyes. The fact that they were wearing the robes that the hand gave the group also wasn't lost to him as he looked back and forth between the two.

"I suppose introductions are in order," Ehna said, "Exi. Meet Duo and Pente, your predecessors."

He turned back to the two, "Likewise, this is Project VI."

The blindfolded man frowned again before bursting into laughter.

"Oh, so the Hand of Destiny really did continue their work!" he said, "So how many failures did they get to before they quit? I imagine at least five more just from the look of this runt. He probably couldn't take out a single monsuno even if he tried!"

"I'm not a failure," Exi sneered, "And how can you even see?"

"For the same reason why you have that hunk of rock in your hand," Pente said with a toothy grin. The raven-haired boy looked a bit panicked, and swiped his glove from the floor. From his pocket, Ehna could feel his communicator from Tallis go off. About time.

"Hello?" he said, taking a few steps away from the small group.

 _"Y-Yes? It's T-Tallis,"_ the doctor said, _"W-We have just e-e-escaped S.T.O.R.M. and are h-heading for our base."_

Ehna grinned. Things were coming together.

"So I take it that you found the scrolls?" he asked. There was some hesitation before Tallis responded.

 _"U-Unfortunately no_ ," he said, _"I'm afraid S.T.O.R.M. took them back to the library of Tebab when Jon Ace took over."_

Ehna frowned. A small set back, but seeing that they knew the location of the fourth seal was in that area, they would just have to go to it when getting the scrolls. If anything, this worked in their favor. Now they didn't owe anything to the Forge Resistance.

"Don't worry about it doctor," Ehna said, remembering the call, "Just... Stay under the radar for the moment. We'll be in contact soon. I'll send over payment for your help."

He hung up, not bothering to hear a response. With a sigh, he turned back to the others. Strangely, Duo was now staring down at Exi, who was apprehensive at the look he was getting.

"... What?" he asked.

"... Twenty years since I've been dead and they finally got it right," the woman said, leaning down at him even more. Exi felt his breath hitch as she glared intensely at him, practically looming over him.

"Although... I doubt it was worth anything in the end, seeing how the Hand is dead," she chuckled, then turned back to Ehna, "So what is our next move? We have almost everything in place now."

"... Just got done talking to one of our resources," he said, eyes gleaming, "Besides the scrolls, the final key is just waiting for us. That, of course, being Chase Suno."

The woman looked confused, which was understandable. She probably never even heard of Jeredy Suno since monsuno themselves were still being researched while she was dead. Pente most likely heard something, but he probably didn't care (especially seeing that he was now wandering around the room aimlessly).

"So why haven't we bothered to catch him?" Exi huffed, "We've nearly encountered him three times now in the past week. Why did we have to wait so long?"

"You know the reason," Ehna snapped, "Not that it matters now. As soon as we get the word from Klipse, we'll be setting things into motion."

Exi frowned even more, folding his arms tightly together.

"And what about the scrolls?" he asked, "Did that weird one-eyed guy get them already?"

"I just got done talking to him," Ehna said, then pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, " And if the scrolls really went back to the library, then most of the work has already been taken care of for us."

Exi raised a brow, "What do you mean?"

A cold pair of eyes fell onto the boy, and he flinched a little at the gaze that was coming from the tall woman. After staring for a minute, she turned away.

"I'm guessing you haven't been telling your little companions about the full plan have you?" she said to the brown-haired teen. Ehna shrugged, not bothering to answer. There were many parts of this plan that he knew the others wouldn't need to know. Especially if he hoped for it to work.

Duo let out a sigh, seeing that their leader wasn't responding, then looked back to the raven-haired boy, "I was told that you know of the original monsuno by now, considering that was the last mission you were given."

Exi raised a brow, "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing. At least at the moment," Ehna interrupted. There were still many parts of this plan that he needed to keep secret, if only for what could go wrong. And the last thing he needed was for the others to know how expendable they really were.

"So, in the mean time, we'll just have to wear Suno down little by little, and then strike when he's at his lowest point." he continued, "In the meantime, we still need to find those scrolls, seeing that Tallis failed to do so..."

 _"That won't be a problem now!"_

They all turned to the entrance to see Triah entering, followed by an unfamiliar man. He seemed a bit old, with patches of grey in his hair and beard, though it could've also been from his glasses and attire.

"Triah. Did you find a way to the seal?" Ehna asked, not bothering to notice the other man. Before he could answer however, the large man's gaze fell on the other two. Pente immediately started to laugh.

"Oh! And there's this guy, still alive!" He boomed, then went over, "I thought the Hand would've gotten rid of you for sure. And looking just as hideous as ever!"

"And you're just as annoying," Triah scoffed, then looked towards the woman. His gaze immediately softened as he took small steps towards her. She also had a rather pleasant look in her eyes as she raised a hand, touching the side of his face.

"... You're a monsuno hybrid," she said faintly. He chuckled under his breath, grabbing her gloved hand.

"It's not as bad as it looks," he said, "Believe me. There was someone else who had it worse then I did. Someone that wasn't even used by the Hand. From what I heard, he actually helped defeat them."

Ehna cleared his throat, immediately getting their attention. Duo openly glared at him, but didn't say anything.

"Anyway," the teen said, "Did you find a way or not?"

Triah gave one last look to the tall woman before shaking his head, "Unfortunately, it seems we'll have to infiltrate the library of Tebab to get to it. Luckily, I found someone who could be of use."

He gestured to the old man, who was staring with a quirked brow at them. He also started to stare at Duo before they all turned to look at him.

"... Why would you need me?" he said, shrugging lightly, "You seem to have someone from Tibal with you. I'd recognize that tan skin and white hair anywhere."

Duo raised a brow, now getting looks from the others. She let out a scoff.

"That was a long time ago," she said, looking to the side, "Too bad I deserted the place before anything consequential could happen. And how would you know about the library? I thought it was closed off to the world."

The old man started to laugh, and sound that rivaled Pente's laughter from earlier.

"Please. That old place can hardly be called a secret. Not since the past couple of years I've been there," he said, "In fact, there's nobody left from the old days besides a rather troublesome monk that's part of a particular Suno's group."

Exi gasped under his breath, a look of realization on his face. Ehna's eyes narrowed towards the man. So he knew what they were up against. Perhaps they could use this to their advantage, among other things.

"But you can get us inside, correct?" he asked, stepping forward, "We'll pay you. In more then just regular monsuno essence. Just show us a way into the library, Mr...?"

"Not mister," the man said, then held out a hand, "Just... Bookman. And I'm sure the library has exactly what you're looking for!"

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever and monsuno power for the reviews.

Sorry this took a little while longer, but beta had a lot of work to get through and didn't have time to really read through (and it's hard to plan without a second in command). Not too happy with how it turned out, but I felt the need to get this out.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chase stood there numbly, listening to the steady beeping from the machine next to his mother's bed. Sophia had yet to stir, and it was making Chase more then a little nervous. He clung onto her hand, hoping that maybe, his presence could get a response. When it didn't, he let out a sigh.

He knew not to blame himself, but there was a part of him that knew why this happened. He had a feeling that it had to do with him. As conceited of a thought that was, maybe it wasn't true. And yet... Every time something happened that dealt with monsuno, somehow came back to him.

"Just when I thought our lives were getting back to normal," Chase said, still holding onto Sophia's hand, then laughed bitterly, "but then again, I never knew normal before..."

Sophia made a sound, and he looked up to see her brows furrowing and lips quivering. Almost like she was having a nightmare.

"... Mom?" he asked, doubting it would even get through. When he held her hand tighter, he saw a flash of something. Before he knew it, the room got darker, and colder. He glanced around, trying to figure out what was going on. As soon as he turned away, he felt something grip onto his hand.

Chase looked back down to see Sophia staring at him, except it wasn't a reassuring look. If anything, it was a sinister glare with a smile that was all too familiar. It wasn't her. It was the fake.

Without hesitation, Chase whipped his hand out of her grasp.

"H-How," he stuttered, taking a step back. She rose, not breaking eye contact for a moment as the rest of the room darkened around.

"Don't think you can escape me," she said, arms moving out towards him. He flinched backwards as soon as they came close, stumbling over one of the side tables. He hit the ground, rolling over as he tried to shield himself. When he felt something touch his shoulder, Chase immediately lashed out at whatever it was.

"Ah! Chase, calm down."

The raven-haired teen opened his eyes, realizing that the room was back to normal. The fluorescent lights blarring overhead, and the steady beeping from the assorted machines faintly coming and going. Chase blinked slowly, seeing is mom still lying motionless in the bed.

"... Chase?"

He looked over, seeing Beyal kneeling beside him with a confused look.

"Is... Something the matter?" the monk asked. Chase looked to Sophia, and shook his head numbly. With some help, he got back to his feet.

"N-No," he said after a moment. He couldn't shake the unnerving feeling he got, if only from the vision he just got (if that's what it was called), "Um... Was there. Something you needed?"

Beyal shook his head and hesitated, "Well. No. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Everyone's having a meeting right now again," the monk said, "And since you're the leader-"

"I get it," Chase sighed, "I gotta be there. I'll go in a minute. Just. Can you leave me alone for a sec."

There was a pause, and Chase looked over to see Beyal shuffling his feet again where he stood.

"Actually," he said, "I... wanted to ask you something."

Chase raised a brow, "... Okay...?"

The white-haired teen let out a sigh, "Could... Did you remember anything from that day we went to the ruins? I'm trying really hard and, well, I just can't think clearly."

Chase inwardly groaned. As much as he loved to talk about all the mystic stuff with his visions, it got overbearing sometimes. Especially now when everything around him was going wrong. Sometimes he wished he could have a moment to breath.

Even though that wasn't even an option right now. Not with these nightmares and visions plaguing him.

"Sorry. I have bigger things to worry about," the raven-haired teen said, then walked to the door. He didn't bother to stay for whatever advice Beyal had to offer, and promptly shut the door behind him. As he walked down the hall, he kept trying to go over everything going on, if only to try and find the answer that would help his mother.

The Hand returned, that much was clear, and now they were teaming up with Klipse, and possibly the Punk Monks. They were after monsuno essence for a while, which meant they had to be planning on either taking over the world or destroying it. The question was _how_.

Not to mention the reappearance of this doppelgänger in his visions.

As soon as Chase got to the top deck, wind blowing lightly through his hair, he pondered on that last thought. Did that have to do with the feeling he got when trying to spin out? He reached down and grabbed Locke's core from his belt, feeling the familiar warmth of his monsuno.

"... That can't be it could it, buddy?" he asked, glad the deck was mostly empty so he could talk aloud. Looking around, he spotted a few left over crates from one of the latest cargo missions. He took a stance, aiming right for the bottom corner.

"Locke!" he shouted, "Laun-"

" _CHASE!"_

He stopped as soon as that voice rang in his ears, a pair of piercing eyes flashing in his vision for a brief second. He stumbled over his own feet in an attempt to stay steady, and had to catch his breath when he realized he'd been holding it.

"... What...?" he panted out, griping onto Locke's core tightly with one hand and his chest with the other. He looked down, feeling a sudden coldness from the core. What was...

"Locke?" he said faintly. As if in response, the core grew colder, almost burning. Chase winced, dropping it to the floor. He stared down with wide eyes and shock. His father said there was nothing wrong with the core, so was there something wrong with Locke?

One of the soldiers heard the clatter and glanced over at the teen. Not wanting to draw attention, Chase scooped up the core, careful not to hold it for too long as he quickly put it back in its spot on his belt. Chase started to casually walk back towards the stairs that led back down, trying not to be too conspicuous as the guard lost interest.

Chase let out a sigh. He already knew what was going on. Last time the fake tried to get inside his mind, Locke was able to combat it through their bond. She was probably trying to separate them. Which meant _she_ had something to do with what happened to his mother.

"... I'm not giving up," he said under his breath. Even though he couldn't connect to his monsuno, and talking to his parents wasn't an option, he would need to think about another way. As another soldier passed, by he couldn't help but hear something about Eklipse being spotted. Chase lingered for a second, trying not to look like he was up to something.

"... with the last group," the soldier said to another, "And another sighting in the lowlands."

"You think Commander Trey will have us scouting tomorrow? Should be fun considering how much action has been taking place lately," the other said. Chase walked away from the stairs and over towards one of the cloud hoppers, again taking some precaution to not be seen.

Of course! Klipse was a link to the Hand of Destiny at the moment, which meant all Chase had to do was track him down! Shouldn't be too hard since he did it in the past multiple times. Taking a steady breath, he creeped onto one of the open ships, staying hidden as more soldiers patrolled nearby. As one passed by with a yawn, Chase already knew this would be considered treason, but at the same time... Both of his parents were targeted in the past week, and he already knew that the Hand of Destiny would be coming after them again, which meant he had to make the next move before it was too late. And knowing Jon, he wouldn't let any of Team Core Tech set foot off the Cloud Carrier after their last mission.

Chase snuck up to the cockpit, slowly switching off the communicators and tracking as he powered it up. He would have to work fast as soon as the guards noticed something. Luckily, one of the other groups of Cloud Hoppers were coming in from a patrol, which meant more would be taking off soon.

There were a few tense minutes of waiting as the soldiers pilled out, and Chase glanced nervously at them. As soon as some started to head for the other ships, he powered the cloud hopper on fully. He quickly sat down, shutting the door and pulling up the landing gear as the turbines blared on.

Some of the guards finally noticed, and started pointing in his direction, and he took that as a sign to take off. Just as he eased away and off the dock, he could see them running over. As fast as he could, Chase dove down through the clouds and away from S.T.O.R.M..

HLP

Surprisingly, no one was going after him. He found it odd, but was thankful nonetheless. Chase knew it was a bad idea to do this on his own, and he half thought he was crazy for doing it. But. He was supposed to be a leader. The leader of one of the best monsuno teams in the world. How was he supposed to do that when he couldn't even call one out right now?

...

He bit his lip, watching some of the clouds flutter by as the cloud hopper glided through them. He had been thinking about that for a while as he flew. Should he turned back? What about the others?

"… Maybe this was a bad idea?" he sighed, shoulders slumping.

 _"Oh ya think?"_

Chase let out a surprised yelp, knocking the controls sharply to the left. He heard shouting from behind as he quickly steadied the ship. He felt his hands shaking, and slowly looked over to see four familiar faces.

"Wh-what are you guys doing here?!" he exclaimed, pushing the autopilot button and undoing his safety belt.

"Following you of course," Bren said with a frown, "You seemed a little focused on the guards, so that made it easy to sneak aboard when you were starting up the engines."

Chase inwardly cursed. He should've closed the door as soon as he got in. Well, no use in kicking himself now. Not when it looked like that's what Jinja was about to do for him.

"Just what were you thinking?!" Jinja exclaimed, marching up to the teen, "You stole a cloud hopper, and for what? Just what are you planning on doing?"

"Ah. Um," Chase stuttered, scratching his cheek nervously, "Well…"

He let out a sigh. There was no point on hiding it, so he might as well come clean.

"I… wanted to try and find Klipse," he said, getting blank and confused looks from everyone.

"You're _what?_ "

"Just listen!" he quickly defended, "Klipse escaped with the Hand, and they're working together for sure. And since we know where Klipse is, might as well go after him."

The other four exchanged looks.

"Don't ya think you're being a little hasty there?" Dax asked, "I mean. I know your mum's in the hospital and all, but going straight into Klipse's territory can't be a good idea."

"You got me there," Chase said, "But… I really doubt Jon would let us go out after our failed mission. And since Tallis escaped, I doubt S.T.O.R.M. would be so quick to follow through with finding them both."

Bren crossed his arms, "S.T.O.R.M. has been getting stretched a little thin lately..."

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Beyal asked with an earnest expression, "You seemed a little… Distraught earlier."

Everyone glanced back at Chase, and he felt his heart race a bit. He was trying hard to keep everyone from knowing that he was bothered. The last time _she_ was around, it severed their friendships a bit. If they knew that was why he was on edge… And none of them seemed to remember him talking about trying to spin out his monsuno, which meant that was one last thing to worry about.

"Wh-What? Of course not," he said, "I was… Just a little tired is all."

Jinja tilted her head as she took a step towards him, "You sure you're still _not_ tired? You look like you could use a nap."

Chase gave a nervous laugh as he turned away.

"Of course not," he said, knowing that Jinja would be able to pick up on his lie immediately, "Besides, I'm sure this won't take long."

He looked back to see the other giving each other looks again. Dax was the first one to make a move. He shrugged, and sat at the controls.

"Wait. What are you doing?" Chase asked, ready to take the controls if necessary.

"Don't worry. We're not going back," Dax said, "Like you said, we're going to pay Dr. Klipse a visit."

Bren stepped towards him with a suspicious look, "And how do you know where Klipse is? Besides the obvious answer?"

"Let's just say a little birdy told me," Dax shrugged, "Just sit back and relax. We'll be at out scheduled destination soon enough."

"And where is that?" Jinja asked. Dax smirked.

"Where else? Axistown, of course."

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever and monsuno power for the reviews. Glad you liked it considering it was more of a filler for what's to come. (And thanks for the comfort. I really needed it .)

Because of that, this chapter is looong. If only because I really just wanted to get to a certain point at the end (which you'll soon find out), and kept getting inspired.

Enjoy!

* * *

It didn't take a long time to get back into the mountains of Mandala. Throughout the whole time, Six couldn't help but feel reluctant about the whole thing. As their group moved through the snow, he didn't hesitate to slow down and seem to get caught in it. Currently, it was him, his father, that old guy the Bookman, and two of the Hand of Destiny. The smaller one Six didn't mind as much (Exi, if Six remembered right). If anything, it was their leader, the teen with the brown hair, that bothered him the most. The other three were sent somewhere else, though as long as it wasn't close to him and his father, the clone didn't care.

"Six! Hurry up! We're not going to bother fishing you out of the snow!" Klipse bellowed ahead. He, on the other hand, was extremely excited about the newest development in their plan.

Yes. Of course he would be. Six knew the reason, but also hated that. As he hurried along, he couldn't help but think how much he hated this plan in general. When he spoke privately to his father, there was little doubt about what it would be about. Sure enough, it had to do with Chase Suno.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Like usual, Klipse had a plan for world domination, but did not see him ruling with others by his side. No, he only saw himself standing at the top. Leading the world to destruction with his monsuno army.

These people from the Hand were just like everybody else in that sense. Only pawns to be used for the moment until everything fell into place. They would be the ones to catch Chase off guard, and they would be the ones who would most likely suffer a defeat at his hands. In the meantime, Klipse would be working on how to control monsuno through something called the 'shadow effect.' There was only one problem that stood in the way.

"… I think we're almost there," bookman huffed, no doubt tired from the trek though the mountains. Six had crept his way back to the group, keeping a steady eye on the two draped in black. Especially with his… _Instrument_ in his large bag he had hauled up the mountain.

He didn't forget what he had done to the other one in the ruins a long time ago -the one that looked so similar to the woman with the long brown hair- and doubted that they had forgotten as well. Six was reminded that every time he glanced at one of them, if only because that was his mission. Keep a close eye on them, and either find out what made them monsuno-hybrids, or destroy them.

He wouldn't fail. Not when his father was counting on him, and not with their lives in possible danger.

"Here we are," the bookman said with a sigh as they reached the top of the cliffside. There was a large cave ahead of them, which most likely led to some part of the library.

"And this leads straight inside?" Klipse asked, already walking towards it.

"Of course," the other man huffed, "It was the entrance I created to break inside the library the first time after all. If anyone did know about it, then it would've still been in the hands of the monks."

As they got further inside, they lit two lanterns, revealing a rather demolished pathway. Six couldn't help but stare at the large bits of wall that had been blasted away, no doubt from the creation of this tunnel.

"… What did happen to them? To the monks I mean," the raven-haired boy asked curiously, something Six was thinking of doing as well. He never really understood anything in this world besides monsuno and the fight against Chase. That's all he was allowed to know...

The bookman raised a brow, stopping for a moment and shrugged, "Something I doubt a child like you would want to know. Let's just say there are only two that managed to crawl out of reach. I guess three if we're including your… Companion."

"She doesn't think of herself that way," the brown-haired teen, Ehna, responded sharply, then followed Klipse, "now hurry up. We're waisting time."

The rest of the walk was quiet, with only the sounds of their footsteps and the faint dripping of water to accompany them. Six felt a chill, and shivered a bit, bringing his thick coat closer around. The experience of snow was new, but not exactly welcoming. He preferred the desert. Soon, they came to a more refined tunnel that slowly transitioned into a hall until they finally reached a large steel door.

The bookman stepped forward, marching up to the panel to the side, quickly tapping a few buttons. A small beep resounded, and the door swung inside.

"We're almost to the main halls now," he said, "We have to work fast unless you want S.T.O.R.M. to catch on. Not that I would mind taking the library back for the third time."

"It shouldn't come to that," Ehna said, crossing his arms. He looked over to the boy, who grumbled under his breath. The two of them walked ahead of the group, not bothering to signal any of them to follow. The group did regardless. As they approached the hall where voices could be heard, their pace slowed to a stop.

Two guards walked by, probably on patrol. However, they didn't seem to interested in looking around as they continued to talk to each other instead. Otherwise, they might've seen the five.

In a flash, the two leading bolted out and tackled the two guards to the ground. One was out cold immediately as the other was pinned down, his arm being held up in the air by the raven-haired boy.

"Wh-Who are you two?" the soldier stuttered out, trying to reach for something with his free arm. Exi huffed, and twisted his arm tighter, making the soldier stop. The brown-haired teen leaned down next to him, making sure to disarm his weapon before speaking.

"Where are the scrolls being kept?" he asked. The soldier didn't respond, and Ehna nodded to the boy. He twisted harder. Six winced at the strangled noises the soldier was giving, knowing that his arm would probably break at any moment.

"Well? The scrolls of the Five Tribes. Where are they?"

"…Th-There… Ah! In the… West… Agh! West stacks!" the soldier finally said as cracking could be heard, "Agh! Let go!"

Without a word, Ehna kicked the soldier in the side of his head just as Exi let go, knocking them out cold. He turned back to the bookman.

"Which way is the west stacks?"

The bookman grinned darkly. For the rest of the way, the group traveled swiftly, only stopping when another guard would swept past. Six couldn't help but linger a bit longer then the others, as he started to listen to some of the conversations going on. He heard something about 'Suno,' except it wasn't Chase, which made him curious. Did it have to do with Dr. Suno? Would it be worth finding out more if his father could use that information?

Six looked ahead and saw Klipse creeping up the staircase behind the other three. He looked back down one of the halls where some guards were talking. It probably wouldn't take _that_ long to eavesdrop a little.

Slowly, he tiptoed just to the corner where he could hear, staying as quiet as possible.

"… And that was after Tallis escaped," one of the guards said.

"Wow. Must be tough up there on the cloud carrier," the other said, stretching a little, "Good thing we're down here. Can't imagine having to deal with all that."

"Not to mention that stuff going on with Suno," the first guard continued, Six perking up at the name, "I heard his wife is in the hospital, and the Commandant wants more security up there because of it."

Six raised a brow. A… Wife? He heard that before, but didn't quite know what that implied. Was she important to Chase?

"Six!" The clone jumped, looking over to see Klipse glaring at him from the staircase, "Get over here, _now_!"

"Did you hear that?" one of the guards said. Six didn't bother to find out, and ran over to the stairs. He wasn't being quiet, and only after a few steps did he hear shouting from behind.

"You there! Stop!"

"Now you've done it!" Klipse hissed. They ran up, catching up with the others as they stood outside one of the larger rooms. The bookman glanced over as they continued to run.

"Where did you two go-"

An alarm blared throughout the halls. S.T.O.R.M. had been signaled. With a annoyed groan, Ehna threw the doors open and ushered them inside before throwing them closed again.

"Exi, barricade the doors," he ordered, then turned to the bookman, "Where would the scrolls be kept?"

The bookman didn't waste time. He marched up towards the middle case, peering inside. He went over to the next, and then another, being careful the whole time. Banging started behind them, the boy somehow dragging one of the bookcases in front of it. Six watched wide-eyed, only looking over when he heard his father make a noise. Sure enough, he was also watching.

"Six," he whispered lowly, "Whatever you do, make sure to keep an eye on those two especially."

The teen didn't protest, only nodding diligently. Klipse grabbed his arm and brought him closer.

"I mean it," the man hissed, "You know what you have to do. If you mess this up, I'll make sure you're the first 'successful' experiment to go."

Six nodded again, feeling of dread creeping up on him at the reminder. He put a hand on his bag, feeling the cold metal even through the fabric. Klipse stood up, and walked over to join Ehna and the bookman with their search.

The gauntlet. The thing that Six had to use in those ruins before when confronting the Hand of Destiny. He could still remember that woman's screams as she was turned to dust, though it hardly disturbed him. They weren't human after all, so it was easy for him to simply destroy. The teen stood, looking over to the others.

He knew that as soon as Chase was in their grasp and the monsuno were under Klipse's influence, he would be the one to destroy the rest of the Hand of Destiny.

He was caught up in his thoughts, and didn't realize that the boy had crept up on him. He tried getting Six's attention, and eventually grew bored of being ignored.

"Oi. Weirdo," he said, making Six jump. Exi pointed to his arms, "What's in the bag?"

Instead of responding, it was easier for Six to ignore him, and walked over to join the others. The boy pouted, folding his arms tightly together.

"Found them!" the bookman exclaimed with glee, holding one of the scrolls up for all of them to see. Klipse and Ehna ran over, gazing down at the writing as the older man unfurled them. The three stood silently, reading over the text quickly.

"… What does it say father?" Six asked, unzipping his coat as it got hotter in the room all of a sudden. Klipse didn't respond, eyes narrowing as they scanned the paper.

"… No wonder Charlemagne couldn't use them," Ehna said, picking it up, 'It's in the language of the ancients. She couldn't use these even if she tried."

"So what does it say then?" Klipse asked, casting a glance over to the door as the banging got more frequent.

"It says something about the original five tribes," Bookman said, tracing along some of the inscriptions, "Something about ruins. Bah! I can't read this."

The wooden doors creaked, hinting that they would give way any at moment. Klipse grabbed a core, and glanced over to Six to do the same.

"Hold on Doctor," Ehna said, scooping up the scrolls into his arms, "We have what we need. And it would be unfortunate to be caught by S.T.O.R.M. after getting out so soon."

Klipse growled under his breath, but didn't protest.

"Bookman. What's the closest way out?"

"A path way right under here actually," Bookman replied, walking over to one of the bookcases. He pulled a book back and pressed behind it. There was a 'click', and one of the cases that held the scrolls moved to the side, revealing a staircase, "I found this one after Suno first arrived here. The sneaky little monk was using it to get back and forth between the outside and here."

The other four peered inside, seeing how dark it immediately got down the stairs. There was a loud 'bang' outside, and they looked back to see the door caving in.

"No more time," Ehna said, gesturing towards the steps. Bookman walked right through to lead. Klipse looked like he was hesitant on going inside for some reason, which Six found odd.

"… Scared of the dark, Klipse?" the teen joked. The man shot him a look. Before either of them could respond, the door split down the middle, leaving space for the soldiers as they threw something inside. It rolled towards the middle of their group, beeping twice before releasing a plume of gas.

"Gah! What is…" Klipse started, then coughed a bit. Six tried looking over the clouds to find his father, but suddenly found it hard to see, his vision getting blurry.

"They're getting through!" Ehna shouted, followed by footsteps, "Exi! Make sure they don't follow!"

Six tried to follow the other teen's voice, knowing that was where the stairs were. Before he could reach them, he felt a tug on his sleeve. He looked over to see Klipse trying to stay steady.

"Now… Now's your chance!" he said, eyes a bit more crazed as he tried not to breath too heavily. He looked over towards the door. Six followed his gaze, seeing the gap in the door getting wide enough for a soldier to get through.

"B-But-"

"Not that you fool!" Klipse hissed, then grabbed the handles of the bag that Six had been carrying. He grabbed the clones chin and faced him back towards the middle of the room. It was then that Six had realized that the only ones left in the room were him, his father, and the boy, who seemed to be distracted as he looked around in the smoke towards the soldiers

"Use it!" Klipse hissed through his teeth before coughing heavily, shoving the bag into the teen's arms, "Then we'll only have that other one to deal with! Don't follow unless you succeed!"

Klipse stumbled away, leaving Six alone, bag in his arms. He gripped it tighter, hearing the soldiers finally get through. He felt confused. Should he focus on the soldiers, or the task he was given? Was he allowed to use his monsuno, or was it better to be silent and get it over with?

"Freeze!" someone shouted. Six stood there, slowly turning to see a gun pointed at him.

HLP

When Chase left the room in a hurry, Beyal had to admit that there was something in his eyes that was wrong. At first he thought it was panic, but found that it seemed more like fear, which was understandable. There was no warning that something would happen to Mrs. Suno, and since those people from the Hand of Destiny managed to get on board before, who knows what happened to her. Still, he didn't have time to think about it. The others were still waiting, and Beyal figured it was best to go back and tell them about Chase. None of them really had an answer beside 'go after him,' and that eventually led them to sneaking aboard a cloud hopper they had seen their leader creep onto just moments before.

Now, they were all silently sitting along as Axistown slowly came into view, city lights brightening the dark below them.

As they started to approach one of the more open areas to land, Beyal couldn't help but ponder on his lack of visions lately. Asking Chase was out of the question right now, especially with how distraught he probably was, and when he tried to meditate back at the cloud carrier there wasn't much to see (as far as he could remember). The monk shook his head lightly, knowing the answers would come when they needed them most.

The ship landed without any problems, tucked away behind some of the taller buildings just in case.

"Alright," Chase said as they got out, stretching his arms a bit, "So. Which way?"

"Rumor has is that Eklipse peeps were spotted around here," Dax said, shoving his hands in his pockets in a typically fashion, "We could probably spilt up to cover more ground."

"Good idea," Jinja nodded, "I'll go with Chase, and Bren and Beyal can go with you."

The others nodded, until Chase made a sound of protest.

"Ah. Um. Actually," he interrupted, fidgeting in his place,"Maybe I could go with Bren and Beyal with this one."

Jinja raised a brow, but didn't say anything. Chase didn't offer a reason either, and instead started glancing around in the opposite direction. Everyone kept an eye on him for a minute. Jinja seemed reluctant to comply, if only to keep track of Chase in case he tried to run off on his own again(though Beyal could catch up just as easily). Bren probably wouldn't help in that department, but it was better that two people watch over Chase instead of just one. After a moment, Dax let out a sigh.

"Sure. Just leave me with the hot-head," he said jokingly, then regretted it as Jinja shot him a look. She huffed, and folded her arms together.

"No. It's fine," she snapped, "It'll give us 'bonding time'."

Bren started to snicker, knowing what that tone of voice probably meant (it was never anything good).

"Anyway," Chase said, "Let's keep going. I doubt we'll have a lot of time since S.T.O.R.M. is going to be on their way. We'll go east, you two go west."

The group nodded, and they went their separate ways. When it came to searching, it was hard to tell exactly what they were looking for. If anything, Beyal couldn't help but feel they were going in a rather careless manner of doing it. Sure he believed that they would be alright in the end, especially if fate was on their side, but there was still an unnerving feeling he got as they walked along.

Maybe it was because of his lack of knowing for what would become of them, but with these new enemies, it was hard to tell what was in store for them.

As the group rounded another corner into one of the main streets, Chase stopped as they came to an intersection, glancing in the different directions.

"So. Um… What are we looking for exactly?" Bren asked, "I mean. I know we need to be looking for Klipse and any of his goons, but there doesn't seem to be anyone around."

Beyal looked around, and found himself agreeing. But there was still something wrong. The streets seemed a little too deserted, especially for this part of town. Considering they had just gotten there when it was early in the evening, there should be a lot of people walking around.

"… You're right, B," Chase said, looking around at the nearby shops who's lights were still on. He ran over, glancing around to see if there was anyone around. He came back, shaking his head, "Nobody. Not even the shopkeeper."

"Okay… That's definitely creepy," Bren said, then started to tap at his core tablet. He brought it along out of habit, which would probably be a good thing in the long run. Chase let out a sigh.

"Beyal, do you think you could try and get a vision as to where we should go?" Chase asked, scratching the back of his neck, "I'm… Not really sure what to do considering we can't ask anyone if they've seen something suspicious."

For a moment, the monk thought about saying something, but decided against it. There was no point in telling them about his lack of visions, not when they had other things to worry about. Instead, the white-haired teen sat down, crossing his legs and taking a steady breath. He focused only on breathing, and barely on the other sounds going on.

He couldn't quite get comfortable for some reason. There was tension where there shouldn't be, and a rather weird presence of someone else there. Occasionally, he would peek through his eyes and look around, only to see Chase and Bren still standing and looking around.

After what felt like minutes, he let out a sigh and opened his eyes.

"Well? What'd you see?" Chase asked as the monk rose to his feet.

"… Nothing. I'm afraid," Beyal responded, shaking his head. He was bothered by the way that he couldn't receive a vision, and was even more bothered by that feeling of dread that would creep up on him. He knew better at this point then to try and force himself to see something (not since the last time). So maybe...

"How long was I…"

"Only five minutes," Bren said, stopping his tapping as the tablet let out a sting of beeps, "Uh oh."

"What? What is it?" Chase asked, peering over his shoulder. Bren held up the tablet for him to take.

"It's uh.. Your dad," he said. Chase visibly stiffened, and picked up the tablet. His finger hovered over the call button, but quickly pushed down on 'end.' Both Bren and Beyal let out small gasps. It wasn't long before another call was made. Chase took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't hold it off.

"Let's try looking around the block one more time," he said, then shifted a little, "Actually. Can you guys go ahead? I want to talk to my dad in private."

Bren gave a worried look, but nodded. He started to walk down one of the streets, Beyal close on his heels. Just as they rounded the corner, the monk grabbed the other's arm, pulling him back over towards the street they came from.

"Eh? What're you doing?" Bren asked, then looked around the corner. He let out a groan, "Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to overhear things."

"We're not overhearing, we're watching," Beyal said, then looked back to the other teen, "Or do you want Chase to run off without us?"

Bren scratched his cheek, then shrugged, "Good point."

The two looked over the side, keeping Chase in their view as he continued to press buttons on the Core Tablet. He didn't look like he was making a call, which was a little strange. Occasionally, the tablet would start beeping again, and he would get a panicked look.

"… Now you just got me curious. This isn't like him at all," Bren said, and started sneaking closer. They got within earshot, still being unnoticed by Chase.

The core tablet beeped again, this time, Chase gave a sigh, and answered.

"…Hello?"

" _Chase? Is that you?"_

It sounded like Jeredy.

"Y-Yeah. It's me," Chase said lightly,"Um… Did you need something?"

" _Actually, I was looking for you. I need to take a look at Locke really fast,"_ Jeredy responded, then paused for a moment _, "I need to talk to you too. I'm going out to Axistown soon, you should go as well."_

Bren and Beyal exchanged looks. Did the doctor not know that they had left? Why was he planning on coming here?

"Ah… Um…" Chase stuttered, "… Why do you need to look at Locke?"

Jeredy hesitated again, " _I need to check up on something. I'll explain in person. I think you would want to hear this. Where are you?"_

Chase didn't say anything, and he was turned away so the two couldn't see what he was doing.

"… Hey dad," he asked, "… How's mom doing?"

" _Fine. As usual. Why?"_

Chase didn't move.

" _… Chase?"_

"No," he said, " _How_ is she doing?"

There was a pause on the other side, " _… Fine? Did you want to talk to her? I'm sure she'd like to, though she's a little busy at the moment-"_

With one swift motion, Chase held the core tablet high and smashed it against the concrete. It sparked a little, and a few pieces split from it, but it didn't shatter.

There was a silent pause before Bren let out an anguished sound.

"Chase! Why'd you break it?! You know my top score for Zombie Attack Max was on there!" he whined, running over and examining the damage. Chase looked surprised to see the two, but shook his head. He probably knew that was going to happen anyway.

"Is there something wrong, Chase?" Beyal asked, walking over as well, "You seem bothered."

"He's more then 'bothered'," Bren groaned, then stood up, hugging the tablet close to his body.

"Bren," Chase said slowly, "Do you remember that time, right after Jinja got Charger and we got that message from my father?"

"Yeah…?" the other replied, then thought for a moment, "Actually… Wasn't it Madea and Darkspin?"

Chase nodded, "Exactly. Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling there's a reason why no one's around right now…"

It was only then did they all go quiet, glancing around at the shadows of the area.

"… So. Someone tried to pretend to be your father before?" Beyal asked.

"Yeah. Not surprised they'd try the same trick twice," Chase sighed, then scratched the back of his neck, "Sorry B. There's only one way to disable the communication on the tablet. And whoever is behind this is probably trying to track us down."

Bren grumbled, already examining the parts of the core tablet that was still together (which was the whole thing except for one of the corners that chipped away).

"What do we do now?" Beyal asked, "If they're after you, should we head back?"

Chase shook his head, "No. I have a feeling it has to do with Klipse. And since we're on the hunt for him, might as well play along. We just won't make it easy for them."

" _But you already have!"_

The three quickly turned around in time to see someone roughly land on one of the nearby cars. A familiar figure rose, dark hair sticking up wildly. Bren let out a groan.

"Of all the people, why did it have to be him," he said.

"I take offense to that!" Dom Pyro shouted, hopping off the car and tossing a core up and down, "But that hardly matters. Not when the little mouseys need to be collected!"

"I'm guessing your with Klipse," Chase said, "Is he here? What's he up to?"

"Not so fast little mousey," the assassin tutted, "It wouldn't be fun to reveal the end. How about you come along and find out yourself?"

The three of them exchanged looks. It looked like Klipse really was up to something here in town. They would just have to figure it out.

"How about I wipe the floor with you first!" Chase boasted, grabbing one of his cores. Dom Pyro burst out in laughter, also taking his core in hand.

"Sauro, launch!"

"Deepsix, launch-"

Chase stopped, his hand still tightly gripping onto the core as he stood frozen. Dom Pyro's core went zipping past them all, hitting the building on the far side behind them. From it emerged a red monsuno, one that wasn't typical for the assassin to have, but had the trace of Klipse all over it.

Bren skidded back a little as the monsuno let out a roar at them.

"Uh... Chase? Weren't you saying something about 'wiping the floor with him'?" he squeaked. Chase was motionless, still holding the core above as if he were going to launch it. Both Beyal and Bren looked to each other, then went to his side. Their leader's eyes were wide, as if he was seeing something else in front of them.

The monsuno behind them let out another roar. Bren let out a panicked sound as it spotted the group.

"Crush them my pretty pretty!"

"Chase! C'mon say something!" Bren exclaimed, shaking the other's shoulders as the monsuno charged forward. Without hesitating, Beyal grabbed one of his cores.

"Mysticblade, launch!"

Just as the monsuno edged closer, a burst of blue erupted into the air, stopping it in its tracks. Mysticblade let out a howl as the other beast hissed.

"Mysticblade, Medusa Glare!"

The was a flash, and Beyal turned back to the others. Chase had collapsed to his knees, now staring down at the ground with a dazed look. Bren was at his side, trying to ask what was wrong, but got no response. Dom Pyro let out a roar of laughter.

"What's wrong, little mouseys? Can't get it together?" he giggled. Beyal frowned, and turned back to the fight. The red monsuno was stunned, but only for a moment. They would have to act now.

"Mysticblade, this way!" Beyal shouted, knowing that it was better to flee then fight. Dom Pyro saw, and started to run over. The monsuno was faster, swiftly soaring over and helping the three up as they took flight. The assassin yelled after them, but couldn't do much as they rose higher into the air. As they started to glide more towards the more central part of the city, Beyal let out a sigh of relief.

"Chase," Bren said, still tending to their leader. Beyal turned around to see what was wrong as well. Chase's eyes were downcast, staring down at the core in his hand.

"… C'mon Chase. What was up? Why didn't you sick your monsuno on that guy?" Bren asked. The raven haired teen let out a sigh, eyes locked onto the core. When he looked back up, his eyes were bright, but also hollow.

"I… I said this before back at the cloud carrier, but I didn't think it was this serious," he said, "I… I can't spin out my monsuno."

HLP

When the two of them set out, it was easy to say that the night was going to be long. After all, they had just gotten there, and Chase probably wanted to sneak off as soon as he could, which was why he chose to go with the other two instead of them. At least that's what Dax thought. Jinja wouldn't hesitate to show Chase a piece of her mind, especially if he was going to be so reckless. Figures the guy would try and stay as far away from her and go with Bren of all people (someone who could hardly be called threatening).

"So. Where to?" Jinja asked as they walked down an alley, getting further and further away from the cloud hopper. Chances were, they wouldn't be able to use it to get back if Chase was planning on trying to stay as far away from S.T.O.R.M. as long as possible.

"Let's just look around here for a bit," Dax replied, gazing around as they reached the end that led into another street. This one was more narrow, but would lead back up to the main road eventually. It seemed like they were more in the construction side of town from the look of all the warehouses. At least they wouldn't attract too much attention.

"So… Why'd you want to come to Axistown anyway?" Jinja asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well… You never suggest anything, unless you get something out of it," she said. Dax let out a laugh.

"You sure about that? After all, I'm a reformed man. Top S.T.O.R.M. operative and all," he joked. There was a lot of humor in that, seeing how he was now part of an organization that he avoided for the longest part of his life.

Jinja raised a brow. They went down another alley, this one more narrow then the last. It was quiet for the most part, and it was a little hard to tell what they were looking for as far as Eklipse activity. Dax half knew that going back to the old fighting rings would lead to nowhere. Especially since S.T.O.R.M. was patrolling those areas regularly ever since the Underground was taken out.

They stopped after a few minutes, getting to a dead end. As they turned around, Jinja paused for a moment.

"… Is something wrong?" Dax asked, turning back when he realized she wasn't following. She winced a little, holding a hand up to her head.

"N-No. I'm fine," she said, "Just a little… It's nothing."

He raised a brow, but shrugged it off. She was probably just tired or something.

"… Actually," she started, "… Was there a reason that you suggested to come here? It couldn't have been to just calm Chase down. And this is a little too specific of a place to start our search."

Dax could feel Jinja watching him from behind. She let out a sigh.

"Okay. Spill it. What's the real reason that you wanted to come out here to Axistown?"

"Like I said. Eklipse was spotted in the area, and since that's who Chase is lookin' for anyway, it just made sense to tell him," Dax said, not bothering to turn around. He knew that Jinja was getting better at reading him, but that didn't matter. He was speaking the truth (for the most part).

Jinja, seeming to be believe, shrugged, "Alright. So who told you then?"

"What?"

"Who told you about Eklipse being here?" she asked, "You probably didn't overhear it from a S.T.O.R.M. operative since you don't talk to them, and we haven't see anyone since getting here, and I really doubt you just 'happened' to know."

Dax frowned. How was he supposed to respond? Telling her about the phone call would just lead to more explaining (something he didn't feel up for at the moment), and there weren't a lot of people outside of their circle of friends that would know something like this...

"Ah…. Beyal told me," he said quickly, shuffling the ground with the toe of his shoe, "Back when I went to go get him before Mrs. Suno was sent to the hospital. Said he saw a vision 'bout the city. I just figured this was where he was talking about."

He turned around, seeing Jinja looking at him with a raised brow. She probably didn't believe him. Not that it mattered. Before she could say anything, there was a sound of something collapsing in the distance. They both jumped, taking a stance in case whatever it was came near.

Cackling erupted into the air.

"Of course," Jinja said, grabbing a core. Out of the shadows of the alley stepped the lean figure of a familiar woman, her hair pulled up and wearing sleek black clothes that helped mask her from the streetlights.

"Oh ho ho!" she said, "I was wondering when Suno's group was going to arrive! Just my luck it'd be the little girl and the lowlander."

"What're you doing here Madea," Dax growled, gripping Airswitch's core tightly. She started playing with the ends of her hair. There was a glimmer, and the two could see a red core in her palm.

"Just taking care of errands for you know who," she cackled, "I would've thought you'd know about that."

"About what?" Jinja asked, staring down the woman as she tossed her core up and down.

"The prize of course!" she said merrily, "First one to catch Suno and his group gets the prize! It's a mystery, but Dr. Klipse is wiling to go all in for this, which means it has to be important!"

There was clamoring behind, and the two teens turned to see the rest of Madea's goons appear in the ally. They were trapped.

"Well. No way out other then to fight I guess," Jinja said under her breath, glancing back and forth between the two exits. Dax, however, kept his eyes on Madea. Sending out their monsuno now wouldn't end well in such a tight space. Provoking her wouldn't do any good either, but maybe...

"So he's here then? Or was the good doctor too scared to make an appearance?" Dax asked. The woman shrugged.

"It's hard to say, but everyone who's anyone is coming to the city to try and best Suno," she said, then cackled loudly, "Of course, I'll be the one to get there first! Now just point me in the right direction and we can all go on our way. I won't even bother fighting you!"

Dax glanced around, seeing a few pipes close by and a ladder that led up to the roof tops. He would have to act fast. Jinja growled under her breath.

"Yeah right and why would we-"

The red-haired girl suddenly let out a gasp, gripping her head with both her hands.

"Jinja!"

"Hurry, grab both of them!" Madea shouted. Just as Darkspin ran forward, Dax kicked one of the pipes out of it's place, releasing steam into the alley. The group backed away from the two teens immediately.

"What're you waiting for you fools!" Madea exclaimed.

"Hurry! To the roof," Dax shouted, reaching down next to Jinja and uncovering a manhole. Darkspin could be heard yelling around and trying to get out of the steam. Dax pulled Jinja closer so that she could see what he was planning, and nodded. The two teens snuck down into the sewer, careful as to be silent. When they reached the bottom, it sounded like Madea and the rest had taken off towards the skies.

"Nice thinking," Jinja said, looking up towards the street that they left behind, "Why here though?"

"These pipes aren't used by too many people,"Dax said, "At least for traveling. I doubt we'll see any trouble down here… You alright?"

Jinja nodded slowly, trying not to move too fast. There was a sound of monsuno above them, and Dax quickly ran down one of the paths.

"Hurry, let's go!" he said.

"Wait. Why are we running?" Jinja panted out as they passed by a few other tunnels, "We can't leave Chase and the others out in the open!"

"They'll be fine, princess. I'm sure they could handle Madea," Dax said, nearly tripping as a rat ran by.

"That's not what I'm worried about," she said, "Something about what she said is bothering me. Everyone is coming to the city… How many people could Klipse possibly contact? There can't be that many Eklipse members left. Not after S.T.O.R.M. took down Grandma Future and-"

"There aren't," Dax interrupted, knowing where she was going. Jinja was probably thinking about the underground fighting ring, which took out a good chunk of people involved with Eklipse. Besides Madea, there were only a few left that Klipse could turn to. There was the crazy assassin Dom Pyro that he and Beyal had run into earlier that week, then the Desert Wolves, if they even counted. Knowing what they thought about monsuno, it was unlikely that those three would get involved. Which just left-

"Hold on!" Jinja exclaimed, and came to a halt. They were in a four way intersection, and she stopped as they got towards the tunnel just ahead.

"… What is it?" Dax asked. She didn't respond, glancing around at the other darkened corridors. There was a faint dripping, with some bustling outside, which was probably Madea. Dax got nervous as some of the sounds got closer. After a moment, it started to travel farther away. Dax let out a sigh. The woman had probably decided to stop following them, and most likely decided to go after Chase instead.

"Sounds like they're gone," Dax sighed, "C'mon. I bet we can go around and get to Chase and the others faster if we-"

"Shh!" Jinja snapped, still not budging. Dax raised a brow. She was more on edge then usual. As if in response, someone started to laugh down one of the darkened paths. At first Dax thought it was Dom Pyro, but then realized it was too different. Sure enough, someone stepped out of the shadows from the left.

The two teens immediately recognized the black cloak as the ones that the Hand of Destiny used. However, this person's hood was up, and it was hard to tell which one it was. Dax cursed under his breath.

"Who are you!" Jinja demanded, taking a core in her hand. There wasn't enough room to spin out without having the sewer collapse. And considering that they had just gotten away from Madea, and the last thing they needed was to be found.

"No one of interest at the moment," they said, then folded their arms, "you two don't look like you belong in a place like this. Where were you heading?"

Neither of them responded. From the sound of it, this person didn't know what they were doing down here, nor did they know that the two were with Chase. Their voice didn't sound familiar either. Perhaps they could use this to their advantage...

"Just got lost," Dax said casually, "We're on a bit of a date and all that. You wouldn't know the way out would you?"

Jinja turned to look at him with a mortified look, Dax trying not to look fazed to keep up the fib. The person burst into giggles.

"Yeah sure you were," they said, "Quiet the charmer then, eh? Ah well. Anyway, have you seen a guy with black hair and blue eyes somewhere around? You look like you could be around his age. Goes by the name 'Suno'?"

Dax exchanged a look with Jinja. His hunch was right. This person didn't know that they were with Chase.

"Sorry, can't say that we have," Jinja shrugged, then grabbed Dax roughly by the arm so that they could leave. The person didn't respond, which meant they were probably in the clear. They took two steps before another voice chimed in.

" _They're ly'in'"_

They stopped, a new voice echoing around them. Jinja quickly turned back around, seeing the cloaked person from before remove their hood. It was someone that they hadn't seen before, and was probably a little older then either of them. The guy ruffled his dark gray hair as it stuck up on one side. Jinja raised a brow, seeing a cloth tied around his eyes, which made her wonder how he managed to see them before.

Dax, however, was focusing more on the person who had just spoken, entering and walking right next to the cloaked figure.

He felt his heart drop, and his breath catch in his throat as a pair of familiar dark eyes locked into his own.

"… Spike?"

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A/N: Review Review Review!


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever and monsuno power for the reviews.

Sorry that I've literally not updated for a month (beta was even yelling at me to do work), but luckily, other business has finally got settled and I can focus on this story again!

Enjoy!

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Silence was split between them all as Mysticblade continued to glide gently over the city, the lights bright below them. Bren stared at Chase, then gave a look to Beyal, then back to Chase.

"What? What do you mean?" he asked, casting another glance to Chase's cores. At first he thought that it meant that there was something wrong with the cores, but that couldn't be right. Chase had given them to his dad earlier. If anyone could solve the problem it would be Jeredy. The raven-haired teen shook his head, wind tossing his hair lightly.

"I… There's something wrong when… When I hold my cores," he said, a dull look in his eyes as he gazed down at one of the cores in his hand, "It happened before… When Tallis escaped, and again when I was planning on leaving…"

Bren glanced over to Beyal again, who looked just as confused. He wasn't sure what to say, since he never really understood anything that had to do with monsuno 'mysticism.' Still, if it was affecting Chase, it couldn't be good.

"Maybe… You need to meditate through it," Beyal suggested, "I think if you do that it should-"

"It won't," Chase said, head still bowed.

Beyal shifted a little, "B-but. I'm sure if you just try, you'll see something-"

"I already said it won't!" Chase yelled, making the two jump. There was an awkward silence that stretched across them. Bren couldn't help but stare at Chase's outburst.

"I… I keep seeing someone in my visions," the raven-haired teen said, stroking his thumb against his core, "At first I thought it was my mother, but… It wasn't her. It was the other one from before."

"Other one?"

"Remember? The one who looked like her, but wasn't. Back when we had to deal with those weird people from the Hand of Destiny before."

Bren thought for a moment. As far as he could remember, there were only two that he had encountered. He didn't remember anyone else. Jinja said that there was someone who looked just like her, but also turned into other people apparently. After a moment, Bren remembered Chase mentioning one other who took the appearance of his mother. He never liked talking about it, and seemed even more disturbed now that he _had_ to talk about her.

"Are… Are you sure?" Bren asked. Chase nodded.

"Every time I think about my monsuno… And every time I close my eyes I can see her. I can _hear_ her…."

He shook his head again, grip loosening on the core he held.

"Well… There has to be a reason why you see her. A bigger reason," Beyal reasoned, "Master Ey often said that visions happen on purpose, and that we must learn from them."

"Beyal. This isn't the time for trying to look for a deeper meaning. And this isn't like some vision. _She's_ real," Chase snapped, "And it's obvious what she wants. I'm not about to try and confront her. Last time it didn't exactly end up well…"

There was something that flashed in his eyes. Bren raised a brow, wondering just what happened between Chase and this person. It probably wasn't good considering his own encounter left him flying out of a tower before being scooped up by one of the original monsuno (something even he had trouble believing).

"… Well… We can't exactly keep flying," Bren said, looking around. Dom Pyro didn't seem to be following them, so there was a good chance they would have time (not that Bren wanted to chance something like that). Chase gave a frustrated look, and sighed.

"… Chase," Beyal started again, "I… Think you ought to try to communicate with your monsuno. At least with Locke. He is one of the few things that the Hand of Destiny feared."

Chase glared a bit, and looked down at the core again. It was only then did Bren suddenly realize how tired he looked. It was understandable given the circumstances of what was going on, but usually he didn't look as exhausted as he did now. Was he getting enough sleep? Or has his worrying been taking a toll?

Before Bren could ask, there was a screech from Mysticblade. All three looked up to see someone standing on top of one of the nearby buildings. They were flying reasonably low, easily able to land in case another monsuno attacked. As they moved in the direction of the person, Bren squinted, trying to see who it was in the dim lighting.

There was a movement, and a flash of light. They all flinched, and Mysticblade let out a howl. None of them were prepared when the monsuno was suddenly hit and started going down. All too soon, it was sent back into a shower of blue, the ground approaching fast. Bren let out a yelp, quickly glancing towards Chase. The other teen only looked down with wide eyes, caught off guard by the attack.

Luckily, they managed to land one something before they fell into one of the darkened alleys. Bren panicked for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. It was some sort of safety net. Whoever put it there was probably expecting them, but that didn't matter considering how close they were to become pancakes on the sidewalk.

"You two alright?" Chase asked, sitting up. Beyal nodded, as did Bren.

"A little shaken up, but nothing too serious," he said, fixing his glasses a little that moved during the fall. He blinked, realizing the person who had attacked them disappeared from the top of the building. That couldn't be good.

"Uh. Chase," Bren said, "I think we have a problem."

"No kidding," Chase said, trying to maneuver around. It was harder then it seemed since he couldn't get a solid grip on anything, and every motion made it harder for the rest to move. Bren looked around, seeing that the net stretched to one building to the other. Theoretically, all they had to do was reach one side and-

 _"Oh ho ho! Did you mouseys really think you could get away so easily?"_

Bren groaned at the voice. Somehow, Dom Pyro followed them all this way. And from the look of the net, he planned for it. The crazed man stepped out from the shadows below, looking up with a crooked smile.

 _"You can't,_ " a feminine voice interrupted, " _At least not yet. We need him alive."_

The three looked to the other side of the alley, seeing another person step out. Bren gulped when he saw the dark cloak from the Hand of Destiny. Only, this person didn't sound familiar (as far as he could remember). Dom Pyro sneered, and pulled out a small device. After pushing on the button, the net suddenly lurched down and the three teens were dumped in between the two. Chase quickly got to his feet, eyes going back and forth.

"You're no fun," Dom Pyro said with a frown, "I'm sure we can get away with just a little fight. I won't hurt them, much."

Whoever she was, scoffed and leapt far above the teens to the assassins side (who flinched a little at the action). It was then that Bren couldn't help but notice how tall this person was, just a few inches higher then Dom Pyro. Still, the man tried not to look too intimidated as she looked down at him.

"I-I mean. We only need Suno. So I doubt they would mind if I played with the other two," Dom Pyro said, shrugging lightly. She eased away from him slowly, turning back to the other three. He let out a small sigh of relief.

"… I suppose," she said slowly, "Which one of you is Chase Suno?"

Both Bren and Beyal turned to their leader, who had a rather serious look on his face. None of them responded, which made the person sigh.

"That would be the little black-haired mousey," Dom Pyro pointed out with a sly grin, "He's the one with the blue jacket. One of the more troublesome, though I doubt he'll be that much trouble for you."

The woman didn't respond, merely staring absent-mindedly in their direction. A chill ran through the air.

"Hmm. I see," She said, then turned towards Bren and Beyal. A shiver went down Bren's back as he felt a cold stare directed towards them from beneath that hood. "And from the looks of it, you must be the last monk from tebab."

Chase and Bren looked over to Beyal, who had a rather confused look on his face. The woman, crossed her arms.

"You probably don't remember much of the rest of the monks, seeing how young you are, but there were dozens before you ever arrived," she said, then took off her hood. They all gasped as they saw the woman reveal her face, white hair flowing in the breeze, "At least. In my time there were. From what I have heard, that has long since past."

When he finally caught his breath, Beyal stared intensely at her.

"Who are you?"

She scoffed, "You should've been able to tell by now. Maybe this'll make things clearer."

She lifted the bangs from the right side of her face, revealing a scar that stretched across her cheek to her ear. Beyal gasped.

"A deserter," he said faintly. She nodded, dropping her hand away.

"Who?" Chase asked curiously, looking away from their enemies for a second.

"You remember how there were people who left the temple? People like Bekka who swore to keep it's secrets safe," Beyal asked. The two nodded, "Well… Master Ey mentioned that a long time ago, there were those who tried to steal the secrets, or even left on bad terms. Exiled away."

Bren raised a brow. It was a little strange to hear that something like that would happen at the temple, considering Master Ey was probably one of the nicest people they had met on their journey (even if he was a little odd). But then again, none of them had bothered to understand anything further about Beyal or his past after Master Ey had passed. Was this lady telling the truth?

"And now that that is out of the way," the woman said, then removed her glove. They all gasped when they saw her hand was crystallize, as if made out of rock itself. Her green eyes started to gleem as she stared them down, "You'll be coming with us now!"

"… Not happening," Chase said, taking a stance. He didn't look completely confident, considering what he just said to the two about his monsuno, but he knew a thing or two about pulling a bluff. Dom Pyro started to laugh.

"Oh. The little mousey thinks he can fight on his own!" he giggled, and pulled out a core of his own. Chase stepped back a little, but continued to stare forward.

"That won't be necessary," the woman said, raising a hand in front of the assassin. She threw it forward, light suddenly flashing from her palm. Bren's eyes widened when he realized too late what was happening, just as that light flew towards the three of them.

HLP

It was a few weeks ago, over two months, when S.T.O.R.M. had the operation to take down the underground monsuno fighting ring. Jinja faintly remembered it, if only because she was mostly stuck with Alpha and Beyal the whole time, only getting in on the action at the end. However, she did distinctly remember Dax facing off against another teen who looked like he was from the lowlands as well.

The same teen that was standing before the two of them.

He seemed harmless, though Jinja wasn't to quick to trust him from the look of things. The four of them stood there, listening to the water dripping through the pipes and along some of the small streams. She looked towards the two before her, trying to gauge the situation. Luckily, she didn't have to.

"... Spike?" Dax repeated faintly, arms slackened at his sides. The other teen kept his gaze narrowed, locked onto Dax.

"... Hello again, brother," he said, hands in his pockets. Jinja kept a weary on him and the other guy, who didn't seem too interested in what was going on at the moment. Jinja quickly looked around. It was too small in here to spin out without causing the whole place to collapse on them, so it was hard to tell what to do.

"I... I can't believe you made it out!" Dax said, a bit of a laugh in his voice as a smile spread on his face, "What are you doing here? I thought Trish said you were back in Sanctuary City."

"I was for a while. But then I was called to duty again," Spike said, eyes not daring to leave Dax, despite Jinja now glancing around everywhere, "You could say, it was _destiny_ that brought us back here."

Dax raised a brow, "What do you..." He trailed off, and it hit him. He glanced back at the cloaked figure from before, who was now watching leisurely, as if uninterested (an action that still confused Jinja).

"You. You can't mean that..." Dax said, then turned to Spike with a fierce expression, "Your not saying that you-"

"Oh but I am!" Spike said, bringing his hands out of his pockets. That's when Jinja noticed a red core in his hands, "The second you turned your back on me was the second I knew where I stood!"

The two stood silently, staring intensely at each other. After a moment the fourth guy, the one with the cloak, started to laugh.

"Oh wow. So _this_ was the guy you were raving about?" he asked, "Interesting. Though we really should focus on finding Suno instead of having a pointless fight."

At the mention of Chase, Jinja felt herself tense up. She recognized the cloak, and figured that the Hand of Destiny was trying to find him, but the real question was why.

"What do you want with Chase?" she asked. At the moment, the two didn't seem hostile, which meant this was a good time as any to ask questions (especially with Madea still out searching for them). However, it didn't look like it would be easier getting information. The guy ignored her, promptly looking around instead.

"I'm guessing he's not here right? Otherwise we would've all been fighting by now," he sighed, "At least that's what I hear about him. Quite the spitfire."

Jinja frowned. This was going to be tough. She figured this guy wouldn't answer so easily, so she turned her attention back to the other two, who were staring each other down. Dax seemed a bit more calm, keeping a poker face.

"So, Spike. Is this what Tricia was talking about?" he asked, "She said you weren't doing well. And you didn't exactly show up again after Grandma Future was taken out. Is it because-"

"Stop," Spike said, "Just. Stop. I don't wanna hear any more. Last time you tried to trick me with your words. Not this time."

Jinja saw a flash, and could see the other teen holding a red core in his hand to spin it out. She grabbed one as well, ready to spin out.

Before she could blink, the other guy had charged up to her. She gasped, nearly tripping over her feet as he threw a quick jab. She dodged, and tried throwing a punch as well. There was the sound of someone yelling, and she looked back to see Dax jumping back with his own core.

"Pay attention!"

She looked forward, but was hit square in the jaw. Before she even hit the ground, there was a flash of light from the two cores hitting each other. Jinja quickly got back to her feet, despite the pain in her cheek, watching as Airswitch and another monsuno appeared. She let out a gasp, and scrambled out of the way as the monsuno broke through the ceiling above them. The two let out roars as Dax and Spike still stood below. Dax's fists were clenched at his sides, and he looked ready to charge forward.

"Airswitch, sonic screech!"

The monsuno let out a huff before howling out. Teryx leapt up, charging towards the other. Airswitch didn't hesitate to push back as they clashed together. Jinja grabbed a core, prepared to spin out.

"I wouldn't try that girly!"

She froze, realizing the guy from before was standing close behind her. She quickly glanced behind, before turning for a roundhouse. She grinned to herself when she felt her punch connect. However, it was quickly lost when she saw that he barely moved, head tilted slightly where she hit him in the eye.

"Wow. Did you really think you could return the favor?" he laughed, grabbing her wrist. Without hesitating, he flung her against the wall. Jinja let out a pained gasp, sliding to the ground at the loss of her breath. Trying to catch her breath, she looked up to see the guy barely paying anymore attention to her. Instead he was looking around.

She let out a gasp as she tried to got to her hands and knees. She was surprised by how strong he was, if only because this guy was barely as big as Chase (and she could take him on easily). Her attention was drawn back to the fighting as the monsuno crashed down into the clearing they were in.

"Spike. I never turned my back on you!" Dax said, voice rising over the battle, "you know I didn't!"

"Liar!" Spike shouted, "Even after the fighting ring dissolved, you never even thought to try and find me! Even after Trish called you, you were too busy with your new friends to even care!"

Dax took a step back, lips going into a tight frown.

"... Spike. Brother," he said, trying to stay calm, "I looked for days after we took out Grandma Future. There was no sign of you anywhere. You gotta believe me!"

Spike shook his head, eyes shut tight as he did. Jinja could tell what was happening. Whoever this guy was, was in denial. Sure Dax wasn't exactly the most honest when they first met, but he proved how far he was willing to go for her and the rest of their friends. Just as she tried to get up, Jinja saw a shadow from above, and another red monsuno appeared in the sky. A beam came down and hit Airswitch, cluttering the air with dust as the ceiling collapsed further.

"Oh ho ho ho! Found them!"

She let out a groan. It was Madea again.

Sure enough, the woman peeked from the ground level down towards them.

"I hope I'm not crashing the party!" she smirked, the rest of her goons appearing behind her. Jinja glared up at them, unsure of who to face off against now, especially with-

She blinked. The guy from before was gone. She quickly looked around, seeing no sign of him. But where…

"I guess we'll have the pleasure of beating you down to the ground first, lowlander!" Madea purred as she leapt down next to Spike.

"No. He's mine!" Spike exclaimed, "Teryx, terror tempest!"

The monsuno let out a blast, aimlessly trying to hit anything. Jinja stayed low as the walls rumbled and started to break away. As soon as the blast was clear, she took off in the direction she saw Dax in. She could hear Madea shouting something, but ignored it as she saw Airswitch get called back. Following the flash, she found Dax.

"C'mon!" She said, taking his arm and running into one of the pipes. Luckily there was enough dust from the previous attack to give them cover, but she wasn't about to risk the chance of someone seeing them. Especially considering they still needed to find Chase and the others. They had ran through a few different directions, trying to throw off the ones following them.

"… Hold on," Dax said, stopping and taking his arm away from her. He looked back down the tunnel they had came from, the shouts from Darkspin still being heard.

" Dax. This is no time to pick a fight," Jinja said, "We have to get back to warn Chase about the Hand. Who knows how many more of them are out there looking for him right now! Not to mention how that other guy just vanished! We can deal with Darkspin later."

He didn't respond, nor did he face her.

"… I need to help him," he said faintly, "You may not get it, but its something I have to finish. Not for my sake. For his."

He turned back to her, expression unreadable, "I at least owe him that much after all these years."

Jinja let out a sigh, unsure of what to say. She had always pressed to know more about Dax when they had all first met, but it was clear that there were things that he didn't want to talk about. Was this one of them? Should she try to find out? She didn't have time to think as Dax turned back to the path they came from.

"Go warn the others. I'll give you some time," he said, grabbing onto two more cores, "I'll be right behind you."

He didn't give her time to argue as he ran back. She took one step to follow before she suddenly felt a rush of warmth. She let out a gasp, nearly falling to her knees as it passed by. As Dax's footsteps grew faint, Jinja turned towards the other tunnel. It was strange, almost as if there was something trying to pull her in that direction.

With a deep breath, she took off.

HLP

"Look out!" Chase shouted, pushing the other two out of the way as the beam of energy flew past them. It crashed into the building on the far side of the alley, making it collapse.

"Ooh wow!" Dom Pyro whistled, "How delightfully chaotic! But you do know we should be trying to keep our profile as low as possible. Wouldn't want the authorities to come running along, not that I would mind."

She looked over to him with a glare.

"You remind me of someone I detest," she said simply, then looked away, "Be careful of what you say. Those two aren't the only ones that are expendable."

"Are you two alright?" Chase asked. He wasn't sure how this lady managed to blow up an entire building, but that was besides the point. Beyal gave a half heartened nod as Bren brushed himself off. Chase gave a quick look to the other side of the alley where the two figures stood. At first he thought he could fight them, but...

"Let's go!" he shouted to the others, running in the other direction where dust had burst into the air from the collapsed building. He could hear them following, and didn't hesitate to keep going as they went past the corner and into the streets.

"Is anyone wondering how the crag that lady was able to blow up that whole building, or was that just me?" Bren panted out. No one bothered to give him an answer. Honestly, Chase was expecting something like this to happen considering he was trying to find Klipse. But it still disturbed him to know that this is what the Hand was now capable of.

Would he really be able to take them on? Would his monsuno respond to his call? He couldn't risk trying if it wouldn't be successful. Not with this weird monsuno lady now after them. He also really didn't want to linger with someone like Dom Pyro. Sure he could rely on Bren or Beyal helping, but at the same time, Chase wanted to use this as a way of finding out what was wrong.

He rubbed his eyes a bit when it started to get fuzzy suddenly. Why _couldn't_ he use his monsuno? As much as he wanted to sit down and figure it out, he really doubted it would. If anything, he relied on actions, and what better way then a monsuno fight. Too bad it was a little too dire at the moment to just pick a fight.

"… Hold on!" Beyal said suddenly. They all stopped as he stood looking around.

"What is it?" Bren asked, looking around as well, "Did you see something?"

Chase glanced up towards the rooftops. He didn't see anything, but there was a good chance that the two would be able to sneak up on them.

"… Well?" Bren asked again, flinching every time he thought he saw something move.

"I thought I heard something," the monk said, "I guess I was wrong."

"We don't have time for that," Chase sighed, "Let's keep going. We have to lose them before we even try to met back up with Jinja and Dax-"

"Found you!"

They all quickly looked to see Dom Pyro on the far side of the street. He was gripping onto a red core, a deranged smile spread across his face. Chase growled a little under his breath.

"Fine. You want a battle. I'll give you one!" he said, gripping onto his core and stepping forward. He could felt Bren and Beyal's stares as his fists shook. He could feel his heart race as well, though he couldn't tell if that was from fear or from adrenaline. Dom Pyro let out a laugh, tossing his core up and down. The stare intensely at each other, as if waiting for the other to move.

Chase felt a cold sweat go down his brow. That unsettling feeling from when he would hold a core was back. Did that mean he was going to hear her voice again?

He raised his hand.

 _"Oh Chase."_

He stopped.

He could hear her voice practically being whispered into his ear, her presence overwhelming as if she were next to him. He could see the red core coming closer. He had to throw his core. He had to call out a monsuno.

"Chase are you okay?"

He had to do it. Even with his fingers suddenly going numb, he had to do it. Dom Pyro was making the motion to throw out his core. There was no time. He had to do it.

"… Chase stop! Your pushing yourself too hard!"

The voices surrounding him were being drowned out by a faint ringing. He could see the red core as it left the assassin's hand. He had to throw it. How was he going to protect anyone if he couldn't even do this?

With a desperate cry, he threw his core out. As soon as it left his fingertips, the world suddenly started to spin horribly. The darkness of the night suddenly grew large until he found himself falling towards the ground. As soon as he let his eyes close, he could see the familiar outline of his mother approaching.

Even as his mind grew blank, he knew it wasn't her.

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A/N: Review Review Review!


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinja, gear25, monsuno power, and Glowblade998 for the reviews (seriously, thank you so much!).

Have another update this week, and maybe one more before sunday (probably not but, trying to catch up so).

Enjoy!

* * *

As soon as Chase grabbed a core, both Bren and Beyal could tell that something was wrong. His hands were shaking, and soon his whole body. Bren was anxious about both Chase and how Dom Pyro was now launching a core towards them. Beyal, on the other hand, could tell the was something else that they had to worry about.

It only took one look at Chase's unsteadiness that made him remember about the time that he strained his own spiritual self. He was ignorant at the time with how much he was actually pushing himself, trying to regain is visions, and didn't realize until it was too late what would happen.

Just like Chase was doing now.

"Chase stop! Your straining yourself!" he shouted. As Chase tried to throw his core, but quickly let out a gasp as his body fell to the ground. With Dom Pyro's core still heading towards them, Beyal grabbed his own core as Bren ran to Chase's side.

"Glowblade, launch!"

The cores came rather close to them, but his monsuno was able to stop it in time. Beyal breathed a little.

"Chase! What's wrong?" Bren exclaimed, shaking the other a little. He didn't move, and it was hard to tell if he was even breathing. There was no time to worry, as Dom Pyro's monsuno soon recovered from the hit. It roared at them, preparing to strike again.

"Electric Barrage!" Beyal ordered as he ran to the others. His monsuno let out a shriek as it launched itself towards the other. The ground quakes as the two crashed into one of the buildings nearby. Knowing that the battle was at least equal, he turned away to focus on Chase.

As Beyal got close, he slide to his knees to get a better look, praying that is hunch was wrong. It wasn't. Chase's eyes were half closed, lost in a daze. He wasn't responsive either. Beyal quickly focused on trying to connect to him through the monsuno sight, but quickly found nothing there. This was bad.

"Chase! C'mon, we have to- what do we do?" Bren panicked. Beyal wanted to say something, but with the battle still ensuing, he couldn't He quickly looked over his shoulder to see Glowblade holding its own for the moment.

"Bren. We have to get Chase somewhere safe," he said calmly. Bren nodded quickly, grabbing one of Chase's arms and heaving him over his shoulder as Beyal took his other side.

"Oh I don't think so little mouseys!" Dom Pyro exclaimed, "Sauro, Triple torch!"

With a hiss, the red monsuno let out a blast towards the teens. Glowblade managed to hold it off in time, but the blast wasn't letting up. Suddenly, the wave jerked to the right, and hit one of the buildings. Glowblade let out a cry as it shielded them from the rubble.

"Glowblade, deadly deluge!"

His monsuno went forward as Sauro charged towards them once again. There was movement at the side, and Beyal quickly looked over to see Dom Pyro now running atop the buildings towards them.

"How's he doing that so fast!" Bren shouted. They both ran, trying to keep a hold on Chase as the assassin's laughter pierced the air.

"Yes, run run little mouseys!" he laughed. Bren made an exasperated sound, and grabbed a core. Just as he did, Dom Pyro grabbed something as well and threw it towards them. Beyal let out a gasp, immediately recognizing them as stunning bombs.

"Elemental Blaze!"

A streak of yellow stopped the bombs short, turning them into dust. Both Bren and Beyal flinched at the light, and looked over to the source. Alpha, Kilo, and Bravo stood towards the end of the street, looking rather confident. The two didn't have time to question where they had come from, instead finding relief in seeing them there to help. Dom Pyro made a rather annoyed sound.

"Sauro, get over here!" he ordered. The red monsuno slammed into Glowblade as it charged at the three. It was stopped when a yellow monsuno soared by with a roar.

"Deadfall, metallic ram!"

The yellow dragon pushed the other back. Dom Pyro gave panicked shout as it fell towards the building he was on.

"S-Sauro, this way!" he exclaimed, running back in the other direction. The monsuno hissed in pain as it ran after.

"Stop!" Alpha shouted. He and Kilo halted when they reached Bren and Beyal as Bravo kept going after the man with Deadfall. Beyal watched for a moment as they go out of sight, and held out Glowblade's core as it was called back. He could feel the uneasiness from his monsuno, but knew better then to question it right now. At the moment, they had to focus on helping Chase.

"What you guys doing here?" Bren asked, easing Chase down and standing back up.

"What do you mean 'what are you doing here'?!" Alpha exclaimed, "you should be happy that we're here. As soon as S.T.O.R.M. finds out you're gone, do you know how much trouble your going to get in?"

Bren was silent, and looked unsure of responding. Sure the four of them had followed Chase on a whim, but they weren't about to say that and make him take the blame. Alpha let out a slow breath.

"Anyway, I guess it's a good thing we got here in time. Looks like you all were in a bit of a corner," he said.

"Where are Tango and X-Ray?" Beyal asked, looking around for the other two. Bren perked up immediately.

"They went after your other teammates," Kilo said, "There was an explosion a few blocks away. X-Ray said that the tracker he used had three of you over here though, so we figure it'd be best to split up."

"Explosion? From what? And what do you mean 'tracker'?" Bren asked quickly.

"The explosion was probably monsuno, seeing that's all you guys ever attract. And you should know by now that the S.T.O.R.M. surveillance has equipment that can track anyone around the world," Alpha said, scratching the back of his neck, "Look. We need to get back now. If a report is filled out against you all, S.T.O.R.M. won't hesitate to take you guys into custody."

"I really doubt Commandant Marshall Ace would do that," Bren dismissed, "He's a forgiving guy."

"A 10.65 for stealing a cloud hopper, and then a 365 for going awol? That's not something that the Commandant would ignore," Kilo said, crossing his arms, "Not to mention if Commander Trey has any say in it. Which he will."

Bren winced. It wasn't hard to believe that Trey would be more on their case then Jon Ace, all things considered. And with the last mission going rather bad, there was no doubt that he wouldn't hesitate to get his word in on their punishment.

With that, Alpha knelt down next to Chase, now focusing on him, "Hey. Wake up. Let's go Suno."

"Lay off," Bren said, pushing him away as got down as well, "Somethings wrong with him. Something _monsuno_ related. I would think that you'd be more sympathetic."

"What was that?!"

Beyal let out a sigh, sitting on Chase's other side. Their leader hadn't stirred at all during the whole commotion, and that was worrying. Maybe he could try to get a vision and find out what's wrong-

"You cannot reach where he is."

They all jumped and looked over to see the woman from before standing on the other side of the street, stepping out of the shadows. Even as the Strike Squad took a stance, she continued to look rather passive. Nothing was said, as she silently looked over all of them. When her eyes landed on Chase, both Bren and Beyal stiffened. She let out a small sigh.

"Listen," she said, "What if I told you that there was a way of being able to help him. A way where we all walk away as if nothing had happened, and everyone is safe."

Alpha exchanged looks with Kilo. Bren had a nervous look on his face, trying not to look to worried as he kept glancing down at Chase. Beyal, however, kept his eyes on this woman. Not because he believed in her words, but because he found her presense rather odd in general, rather then menacing. He never got to know any of the monks of Tebab really well, considering how he had been sent out of the library as soon as the Bookman came along. He wondered if this woman could be trusted, especially if she really was a deserter...

"What's your name?" Beyal asked. The Strike Squad turned around and gave him a look, which he ignored. The woman raised a brow, and let out a small chuckle.

"For namesake, Duo," she said, looking over her shoulder, "I honestly would rather not fight a bunch of children, and I doubt that the other one will be so willing to let you all go free, so I suggest that you all make a decision."

They were silent, the wind blowing between them. Alpha was the first one to speak, taking a step forward.

"What is it that you want?" he asked, "'Cause I know you're probably not going to just tell us how to help Chase, seeing that's probably the reason why your here. And who are you working for?"

She rolled her eyes at the questions, then focused on Beyal. He stiffened at the gaze, and was tempted to look away.

"Monk boy. I'm sure you probably know what's wrong with him," she said, " _I've_ seen it plenty of times. And there's only one way to cure it."

Bren got to his feet, fists clenched tightly, "And what's wrong with him? Did you do something to him?"

"He... Strained his monsuno sight... Like I did," Beyal said quietly, now looking down at their leader. Bren let out a small gasp, and lowered his gaze. They both knew the only way of being able to help someone who's gone catatonic from straining themselves was to go to the cave of Convergence. But thanks to Madea, Klipse, and Charlemagne, it had been destroyed.

"... Although," Duo continued, "I have another way of being able to help, since I'm sure you probably don't have the time to take him to the cave."

Both Bren and Beyal perked up at that. It was hard to tell if she was speaking the truth, knowing that it was probably just a way of being able to get a hold of Chase. Still, Beyal had _some_ reason to trust her, as she did work with Master Ey at one point.

"Really? You of all people know of a way?" Kilo asked.

"Sounds too convenient to me. Probably wants something out of it too," Alpha said, gripping onto Tripwire's core. The woman shrugged her shoulders.

"You don't have to believe me. Just know that the more time you spend arguing is more time your loosing to save him. Especially considering he's on a limit," she said. The fight in Alpha's eyes was lost a little, though he tried not to show it, "Not to mention that other insane man is looking for you all right now as well, and I doubt he would be so willing to help."

As if on cue, there was an explosion in the distance. They all looked in the direction that Bravo had gone in, watching smoke start to fill the sky. Beyal looked back down to Chase. His face had started to go pale, and the glow of his monsunos' cores were starting to fade, as if knowing what was happening. The monk looked back up to Bren, who started to look more worried at every passing second, and for good reason.

He shifted a bit where he sat. Earlier, Beyal had the feeling that something was wrong with Chase, just from the way that he was acting. Whether it was because of the stress from the Hand of Destiny or from what happened to his parents in the past week, it was taking a toll. But for him to strain his monsuno sight because of it...

With a small sigh of exasperation, Beyal looked over to the cloaked woman. Normally, he would think of ways of being able to assist Chase somehow, but knew at the moment he was useless without being able to see visions of his own. If he tried to strain himself, he could just make things worse.

"What is this other way?" He asked. Her gaze went soft for a moment.

"Come here. For this to work, his soul must be found first before you can even hope to retrieve it. Like the spirits of old, you'll have to act as his guide back to the physical plane."

None of them moved. Alpha looked to Kilo and signaled him. They started to walk forward when she quickly held up a hand.

"Not you," she said, eyes still focusing on Beyal, "Only the monk boy. I doubt any of you would be capable of the journey."

Alpha gave an insulted look. Beyal got to his feet. A hand grabbed his wrist, and he looked down to see Bren staring up with a worried expression.

"I-I'm sure we can find another way," he whispered, "What if this is some sort of trick? I really don't think we ought to trust these people, especially when it comes to Chase. You remember what happened last time don't you?"

Beyal looked away. Of course he remembered. The last time he tried to make a deal with one of these members of the Hand of Destiny, he was staring down a Jinja-lookalike who was making threats towards him. Not to mention all the other incidents that had lead up to that point.

But that was different. He knew that this was probably a trap. But that didn't mean he didn't have a few tricks up his own sleeves.

"Don't worry Bren, everything will be fine," Beyal said with a smile. Even as he walked away, it was obvious that the other wasn't convinced. He fell short a few feet away from Duo, wanting to keep some distance between them.

"So what is this other way?" he asked.

"Simple. You will go into realm that he is trapped in, and bring his spirt back on your own," she said, "however, that might take a while, so I'll need to force your soul towards his."

"And you are sure of this method?"

"Positive," she nodded, "It was practiced by monks long ago when some could not make the journey to the Cave of Convergence. Those with a strong command over their monsuno sight were able to act as the lines to help guide others back. Since your monsuno sight is strong, it won't be too hard to retrieve him. After that, you'll only have to bring your spirit to peace to get back here."

"And there are no risks?" he pressed.

She gave a shrug, but didn't say anything. Beyal glanced back to the others. Even if he were to try this, there was a good chance that she could be lying, and possibly use this as a way of making a sneak attack. He turned back to her.

" _I invoke a vow. No harm comes to my friends,_ " he said as he switched to the language of Tebab, getting a surprised look from the woman. If there was one thing that his people honored, it was pacts dealing with other people. Not selfish notions, but those that are offering help to others.

Much like the one he made to Chase the first time they had met.

She looked annoyed, but nodded nonetheless. Beyal breathed a little. At least she wasn't lying about being from Tebab.

" _I vow to uphold that_ ," she said, making a gesture with her hand and speaking differently as well, " _As long as your spirit is searching in that realm, I will not lay a hand on him. We are at a truce."_

Beyal nodded, holding out a hand. Something glistened in her eyes as a smile twitched on the corner of her lips. She reached forward, grabbing his into her own in a vice like grip. Her hand felt cold, and he winced at the sharp sting. He hoped he wouldn't regret this.

HLP

He was furious.

The past few weeks had been wretched, having to be watched over every second because of a panic attack that rendered him useless for a while. Spike didn't mind the fact that he had been brought back to the orphanage, especially considering it was now under new management and an old friend. No, what was really getting to him was the incident that caused that attack.

The reason why he had been trapped there for years.

Dax

Ever since he had escaped those horrid salt mines all he could think of was trying to get revenge on the one who left him behind. With Grandma Future, that seemed like a possibility. He wasn't prepared for Dax to actually try to _reason_ with him though. That was definitely different, considering all the two of them would do in the orphanage was pick fights together. Practically inseparable.

What a joke.

"Which way did they go?" one of Madea's men shouted.

"They couldn't have gotten that far," another said, quickly looking around. Laughter from behind him made Spike turn to see the female bounty hunter herself.

"Ohhh. I didn't think you would be able to try and take him on," Madea said, hiding that trademark smirk behind her hand, "Not that it would've worked. That rat is more then a little sneaky."

"Don't remind me," Spike huffed, looking down at Teryx's core. It had at least another minute or two before it was called back, but that didn't matter. He needed to find Dax, and waiting for his monsuno to come out would be too long. Shaking his head, he looked back up, ready to start running into one of the tunnels to find the other teen.

Luckily he didn't need to.

"Oi! Losers!"

They all looked to the far left to see Dax standing in the entrance to one of the tunnels, a smirk on his face.

"It's been fun, but I gotta split!"

With that, Dax turned tail and ran back into the tunnel. Spike clicked his tongue in annoyance. That coward-

"Get back here!" Madea's men shouted after him. Spike was about to move after them when he heard Madea laughing again.

"Do you really want to try and take him on? Especially with your own monsuno probably weakened already?" Madea purred with a smirk.

"Like your one to talk!" Spike snapped.

"Oh so feisty! Leave him to us little boy, you'll tire yourself out," Madea laughed as she went after them as well. Spike on the other hand, decided to stay back after a small realization. He knew this trick. Dax was leading them away, only to somehow get around them and trail backwards. And he could already tell why he would want to.

Sure enough, after a few prolonged seconds, footsteps were heard approaching. They slowed, and finally, Dax was back. His face had changed to a serious expression, despite his boasting just a few seconds ago.

"... So. Your still working with them are you?" he asked, kicking at the ground, an old habit he had, "Eklipse? Really?"

"What's it to you?" Spike said, gripping his core. He could feel Teryx start to growl, as if reacting to his anger. Dax didn't seem to notice, or he just didn't care.

"Spike. You know why," he said, looking up with a serious look, "I have been working so hard to make up for leaving. I even send my paychecks to the old orphanage. You can't tell me that I'm not trying, because I am!"

He let out an exasperated sigh, scratching the back of his head before continuing, "Look, there's only one reason why I came back instead of facing off Madea and her goons, and that was to try and talk. Please Spike, it's not too late to put this all behind us and come back with me to S.T.O.R.M."

"Yeah, You'd like that wouldn't you. Turn me in for a hefty reward," Spike said bitterly, "I've seen the S.T.O.R.M. bounties, so don't bother lying. Hell, you were even there when they started taking note of everyone at the stadium! They'd recognize me in a heartbeat!"

Dax looked a bit hurt, but shook his head, "Spike. Brother. I-I never wanted that to happen. That was your own fault. You chose to turn against us, even when I said that it would be alright in the end! You can't blame me for that."

"Yes I can! You turned your back on me the second you stepped over that wall!" Spike shouted, "You said that you care, but you never came back! Even after the damned place closed down and we were old enough to leave the salt mines, you chose to leave and never return! Do you know the kind of crap that you put us all through? And I don't just mean me, I mean everyone else!"

Dax looked shock, some of the fight being lost in his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

Spike started to laugh, a mix of bitterness and resentment, "... I'm surprised you even called Trish, all things considered. She used to bruise us up pretty bad didn't she?"

He shook his head, and continued when Dax didn't say anything, "Remember how she was one of the first to go? How five kids just up and vanished that week? I doubt that you do."

"Spike-"

"And then the next week, ten more."

"Spike I-"

"And then it was our turn."

"Spike why can't you just-"

"You could've stayed."

"I-"

"You could have come back and helped."

"I-I didn't-"

"BUT YOU JUST LEFT US ALL TO DIE!"

Teryx let out a roar. It echoed throughout the tunnels, most likely alerting Madea and the rest of Darkspin. The two stared each other down, Spike now panting with anger and Dax now wide-eyed. There was a faint dripping noise of water, the only sound breaking the silence between them.

Spike started to chuckle, then burst out with laughter. He turned away, not bothering to look at his old friend anymore.

"They did unspeakable things to us in those mines," he said, voice starting to crack, "Trish can't even hold a pen right without trembling awful. They messed up her hands real bad. She never told you, but most of the little scrubs that managed to get out of there are stayin' at the orphanage. That's the only reason _I_ went back there... But."

He shook his head, "It's too much. Seeing their faces just reminds me of the torture that I had to go through. Having to remember the ones that never made it out..."

Spike looked back, now seeing Dax's head now bowed a little. His eyes now shadowed.

"… I… I never knew," he said, almost inaudible. Spike scoffed.

"Oh yeah? And you thought that I would just welcome you back into my life again? Even though the only reason you called was because you wanted a lead for S.T.O.R.M." he shrugged, "But hey, what's your old pal and family compared to the luxuries of S.T.O.R.M. am I right? I bet they offered you something good for taking out the monsuno ring too."

Dax was silent. Spike frowned. He wanted a reaction from him. He wanted to see the guilt. He wanted to see him react. But Dax wasn't doing anything! He wanted to pound Dax into the ground and make him pay, but how could he do that if he wasn't so willing to react!

"I... I hadn't know," Dax finally said "... It hasn't been all fun and games out here either. I've had my own share of problems y'know."

"Yeah. Like trying to keep your girlfriend safe am I right?" Spike huffed, "or those dorks that chased after you when we went to the fighting ring, eh? I bet it was so hard keeping them safe. You'd probably do anything for them."

There was something that stirred in Dax's posture. Spike cursed to himself, knowing that his new friends was why he was starting to act. Maybe he could...

"… Well guess what," Spike said, taking a firm grasp on his core, "Face me right now, or I'll hunt every one of them down myself and take it out on them instead!"

Dax looked up, his now in a fierce glare, and grabbed a core from his belt. Spike smirked to himself. About time he was getting fired up.

"I tried apologizing, and I tried reasoning. Don't say I didn't warn you!" Dax said, "Bioblaze, launch!"

The core hit with a small thud, releasing a burst of blue light into the darkened tunnels. The bug-like monsuno gave a shrill cry as it hovered overhead.

"Teryx, tear it apart!"

The beast let out a roar, shaking the remains of the underground room. It leapt into the air, jowls wide open as its claws extended out. Bioblaze, however, was quicker and flew out of the way. Without a command, it shot blasts down at Teryx, not letting up at all. Spike had to shield himself as Teryx fell back a little into the walls.

"Teryx, get up!" he shouted, the core now digging into his palm from gripping so hard. The monsuno struggled back to it's feet, panting heavily. Spike grinned when saw it rise, and turned back to Dax. He gasped when he couldn't see him anymore.

"Where'd he-"

A whistle from above, and Spike quickly looked to see Dax now standing on the street level, Bioblaze hovering close by.

"Spike," he said, "I'm not going to fight you over this. I want to make it up to you. Please. Just, call back your monsuno so we can do this like civilized chaps."

"Don't give me that crap!" Spike said, "Terror tempest!"

Teryx took a breath, preparing to attack. It unleashed it's blast, Dax hoping onto of his own monsuno with ease as the flew out of the way. Spike continued to command his monsuno to attack, knowing that they would hit eventually.

But then it stopped.

"Wh-what's going on!" he exclaimed. Teryx was panting heavily, "No no no! C'mon! We're so close!"

He could feel Dax's eyes on him. He could feel them on his back, challenging him. He needed to do something. He need to attack!

"Teryx, get up!"

"Dual blasts."

Another barrage of energy came down, striking Teryx without mercy. Spike let out a anguished sound, knowing that he couldn't do anything. He stood there, frozen. Knowing that he couldn't win.

Just like all the other times.

"N-No. I-I can't lose," he said, even as Teryx was called back, he stood there shell shocked.

Dax got back to the ground level, looking down inside the crater. His expression was unreadable, even as he called back Bioblaze.

"S-Stop. Stop looking at me like that," Spike hissed lowly.

"Spike," Dax said, "I have the chance to apprehend you. But I'm not going to. I don't know what you want from me, but can't you just trust me again for a little bit? I hate seeing you like this brother."

Spike shook his head slowly, dropping to his knees. He finally let go of Teryx's core, now seeing flecks of blood dotting it from where he was gripping too tightly.

"… Please. You don't have to come back with me… But. I don't want you to go down that path with Eklipse," Dax said firmly, eyes now downcast, "Believe me. There's nothing there but lies. He'd sooner turn you into a monsuno hybrid."

Spike didn't respond, and kept his eyes to the ground. He couldn't do it. He had failed. Here was is chance of being able to get revenge, and he had failed. So what if he got turned into an experiment. It couldn't be worse then what he had to endure...

"… Spike? Can you-"

"There you are!"

There was the sound of someone else, and then of some sort of commotion. Spike finally looked up, seeing Dax now struggling to fight off Darkspin. Footsteps came up behind him, and he looked over to see Madea standing next to him. She looked pleased as she looked up at her men.

"Oh ho! I knew that there was a fight going on!" she said with delight, "It's a good thing you distracted him for so long. Otherwise we never would have caught the little rat."

"Hey! Ease off you tosser!" Dax shouted, throwing a punch at one before getting pinned down.

"Got 'em miss! What're your orders?" the one with the hood said.

"Hold on to him for now. Once we meet with the others, we'll get the word from Klipse of where to go," Madea said, twirling a stray hair in her fingertips. She gave a glance down at Spike. He was still staring at Dax, an empty feeling now settling inside.

"C'mon little boy, "she said, then started to walk away, "The night is young, and we still have a Suno to catch!"

HLP

"Beyal wait-!"

Duo yanked him forward, bringing up her fingertips to his forehead as her lips moved rapidly, saying something that was unclear. The last thing Beyal saw was her rather cold smile and the sound of everyone's shouts before his vision started to go dark. Strangely, he felt himself falling back, but didn't touch the ground despite knowing how close it was.

It wasn't like going into a vision state either, as he stayed lucid even with his nerves going numb. Of course, he regained feeling as fast as he had lost it.

With a gasp, he fell to his hands and knees, solid ground now beneath. Breathing heavily, he quickly looked around at his familiar surroundings. It was just like Axistown, only darker and quieter.

 _"Oh," Beyal said simply. He was surprised that it had worked. Everything looked exactly how he had seen it, except without any true signs of life. It didn't bother him as much as it should have, but that was besides the point. He was here. And he and to help Chase._

 _He ran down the pathway, looking for some sort of sign that Chase was around. He wasn't sure what to look for exactly, but knew that Chase had to be around here somewhere..._

 _After a few minutes, there was the sound of someone else's footsteps, and Beyal stopped. He quickly turned around, but didn't see anyone. He paused, trying to listen closely. He also didn't want to call out in case it was someone (or something) else._

 _There was a scream._

 _Beyal quickly turned around. His heart was pounding, now listening as soft whimpers were heard in the distance._

 _"Chase," he gasped, then bolted forward. He wasn't sure what could possibly be in this place, as he couldn't remember what happened last time he was here. But that just meant he had to find Chase as fast as possible._

 _He turned a few corners, then saw someone in the shadows facing away. He was hesitant until he heard sniffling._

 _"Um… Hello?" he asked. The figure stopped, slowly turning around. He gasped as they stepped forward._

 _"… Mrs. Suno?"_

 _She stepped closer, a shiver going up his back as she came out of the shadows. A rather unsettling smile was set on her face, and she didn't look the same. Or rather, she looked like she did before when she was with the Hand of Destiny, long hair fluttering behind her._

 _"Oh. It's the monk boy," 'Sophia' said, still smiling. It looked… Wrong, "Are you here to help me find Chase? We can go together!"_

 _There was something in her voice that was different. He felt uneasy just standing there in her presence, and it felt unfamiliar for some reason, almost as if..._

 _"Your not… Your not Mrs. Suno are you?" Beyal said, taking a step back. She paused, tilting her head._

 _"What makes you say that?" she asked._

 _"… You don't look like yourself," he said simply. There was a good chance that this was some sort of image or vision brought on by Chase, but that also didn't seem right. She seemed to real._

 _Suddenly, 'Sophia' burst out in laughter, making him jump._

 _"Oh I guess I can't keep up with this farce for long!" she said, then looked to him with a darkened expression, "After all, we have to go find Chase still."_

 _Beyal took another step back, preparing to take off as soon as he could. That could be bad if she followed though, especially if he were to lead her straight to Chase._

 _"Who are you and what do you want?" he asked, trying to not let his voice waver. Her expression changed to that of annoyed._

 _"Do you really want to go over this again?" she said, "I want Chase. And this won't be like the last time. Now that I have you all trapped here!"_

 _"Wh-what are you even talking about?" Beyal asked. Something moved, and he quickly looked over to see some of the shadows starting to move. He took another step back._

 _"Did you really think that you had escaped all on your own the last time?" she purred, then let out a laugh, "There was no way I could even get near Chase knowing that Sophia was still out there! I've had to linger here for so long because she was always around!" She started to giggle again. "Even now I can feel her presence in this realm, not that it'll matter. Now that Chase forced himself to use his monsuno sight, he's so close to finally being mine! And I can actually thank you for helping."_

 _Beyal was even more confused, still trying to be mindful of the shadows that were now creeping along the walls._

 _"I-I don't-"_

 _"You should already know," she said with a sigh, "How do you think I even found you so quickly? It certainly wasn't because I really needed to, though it will benefit me in the end."_

 _Beyal kept glancing around, the shadows now crawling along the ground and walls closer and closer She clicked her tongue in annoyance, then stepped forward. She raised a hand as if to attack, but nothing happened. Beyal raised a brow. Suddenly, he gasped as he felt his breath hitch. A numb feeling ran through his body, and he felt a loss of control. He couldn't move._

 _"I needed a way of getting to her," 'Sophia' continued, slowly walking closer, "I can't reach her from here. And there's no way that I would be able to get to Chase with her watching over him. So what better way then through someone else? Someone who's already been here, and would be close enough for me to get near her..."_

 _Beyal's eyes widened, "Is. that why I can't..."_

 _She reached forward, a dark smile still spread on her lips._

 _"Let's go find Chase."_

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, monsuno power, and Glowblade998 for the reviews! Also thanks to Tacticianlyra for the info and relaying info to my beta. Despite wanting to incorporate parts of the graphic novels, neither of us actually own them. We looked online for a while, and eventually I just asked beta to ask from other people.

Also sorry that this hasn't updated in such a long time. Real life things taking it's toll (and beta has been too busy for the past weeks to continue on their own). We'll try to update as much as possible before the next few things start taking place over the summer.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

When the Strike Squad had arrived in Axistown, it was obvious that they would have to work quickly. They all knew what would happen if anyone in S.T.O.R.M. found out that Chase and his friends had decided to run off with one of the cloud hoppers without telling anyone. Normally, the Commandant wouldn't have minded (if only because Team Core Tech had done this before), but things were starting to change. And with so much going on, the last thing S.T.O.R.M. needed was to be stretched even thinner.

Of course, the Strike Squad wouldn't have even bothered coming after Team Core Tech. But things started to shift between their two groups. In some sense, they could now be called comrades.

"Alright team, as soon as we find them, we get out of here as fast as possible," Alpha said, "X-Ray, hurry and look through the surveillance and find out where they're at."

The teen nodded at the order, and looked down at the screen that was attached to his sleeve. Once before, he was offered a Core tablet similar to Bren's, but immediately declined knowing that information.

"Hopefully they're smart enough to remember that and try to stay out of public view," Bravo said, stretching a bit. Tango scoffed.

"I'm sure that they are. At least they should be now," she said. There was a part of her that knew that it wasn't likely. Still, she wanted to give at least Bren the benefit of the doubt.

"Got 'em," X-Ray said, "It looks like they split up. Jinja and Dax are in the west and the rest towards the east. They're not too spread out though, so we should be able to meet up quickly."

"Good," Alpha said, and looked to each of them, "Kilo, Bravo. You two come with me. If Chase has any reason for leaving, then I think he's going to need the most convincing. And that's honestly probably the case." His eyes looked troubled, but he shook his head and continued, "Tango. Go with X-Ray and look for Jinja and Dax. Since he can track everyone, it'll be easier to meet back up with the larger group."

They all nodded. X-Ray gave him the directions to Chase.

"Turn on your communicators. If those rumors about Eklipse being in the city were true, then we can't afford to be reckless. Don't engage unless it's necessary. We don't wanna attract too much attention," Alpha said, then took off. Kilo and Bravo trailed behind him as Tango and X-Ray went in the other direction.

"It looks like they went underground," X-Ray said as they ran, looking down at the screen. He suddenly stopped, letting out a frustrated noise, "… This is going to make it tricky."

Tango came to a stop as soon as he did.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Looks like Alpha was right about Eklipse being in the city," he responded, adjusting his glasses. An explosion erupted in the direction ahead of them. They each looked to each other before running forward. Looks like it would be too late to be stealthy.

"..."

They had been running for a few minutes when Tango found it rather eerie as they passed through the town. The streets were dim and empty, which was strange considering this was Axistown, not to mention that it was still considerably early. Tango couldn't help but shiver at the atmosphere, if only because it reminded her of her home city. It was too empty. The streets were filled with lighting, but there was no presence of life.

X-Ray let out a groan, and then came to a stop.

"How're we supposed to find them? It's bad enough that we have to run all over the city, but they're not even above ground!" he complained, tapping away at the screen on his wrist. Tango somewhat agreed, knowing that it could take them days to scope out the whole area, much less the entire city.

Before she could respond, something whispered in her ear.

She gasped, turning in the direction that they heard the explosion. It was strangely familiar, almost beckoning her. Like a voice that had spoken to her before...

"Maybe I could try and hack into security cameras in the sewers. But I doubt they'll show something- Tango?"

She was pulled from her thoughts at X-Ray's voice. She blinked, looking back at him and realizing she had walked a few paces away.

"… Did you say something?" she asked. He gave her a weird look, but didn't say anything. Another explosion went off, and they jumped.

"Looks like monsuno," X-Ray said, then ran ahead. Tango shook her head, and followed. As soon as they came up a few streets, she stopped again. X-Ray skidded to a halt.

"What's wrong now?" he asked. Tango looked around, trying to find out where this voice was coming from. As more blasts appeared in the distance behind them, Tango took off towards the voice.

"Wait- Where are you going? The fights that way!" X-Ray exclaimed. Tango didn't bother to explain. She could hear him catching up quickly, and hoped whatever this voice was, was showing them the right way.

As they went down another street, they saw someone coming out of a man hole. The two came to a halt. Whoever it was quickly got out, looking around cautiously. Tango squinted, and ran forward.

"Jinja!" she shouted. The red-haired girl noticed and took a step back. There was a flash of relief before she tensed again. As they got closer, the voice started to fade. Tango couldn't help but slow down and look around. Before she knew it, it was gone. Maybe it was just her imagination...

"What are you two doing here?" Jinja asked, glancing back and forth between them.

"Alpha wanted to track down Chase, since he knew you all would get in trouble for leaving," X-Ray explained, "Though it's hard to tell why he would."

There was surprise on Jinja's face, that was quickly replaced with guilt. She shook her head.

"No. We had to come here. Chase wasn't going to change his mind," she said, "He wanted to get help for his mother."

Both Tango and X-Ray were silent to that, nor did they have a comment to make. On her part, Tango could see why Chase would want to help Mrs. Suno. She was a kind woman who, despite everything, offered advice and a smile even during small interactions.

"Anyway," Jinja said, looking behind her, "We can go yet. We need to find Dax."

"Why? Isn't he with you?" Tango asked, then turned to X-Ray. The teen shrugged, knowing she was giving him the look because of the S.T.O.R.M. cameras he had access to. He quickly looked down at the screen again, pausing for a brief moment before letting out a small gasp.

"... What? What's wrong?" Tango asked. She and Jinja went to his side to see what he was looking at, and saw a brief image of Dax getting tackled to the ground by three figures.

"Zoom in," Jinja demanded. He did so, and they could faintly make out some of the features of the people. Jinja let out a gasp.

"That's Darkspin!" she exclaimed, then took off in the opposite direction that Tango and X-Ray just came from.

"Woah! Hold on!" Tango said, grabbing Jinja's arm before she could get far, "You can't just take off. We need to find the others first."

While that should've been the argument, Tango inwardly kicked herself for saying that. Knowing the rest of Core Tech, they would want to go after Dax. But there was something wrong about the whole area that set her on edge, and it was more than just the empty and silent streets.

"I don't care!" Jinja said, "Dax is back there having to fight Madea and her goons on his own. Not to mention that other creep who showed up."

"Who?" X-Ray asked. Jinja frowned, obviously annoyed at how much time they were wasting.

"This guy who was wearing a dark cloak. He seemed like he was part of the Hand of Destiny," she frowned even deeper, this time in thought, "Only. I don't ever remember seeing him before."

"You mean there are more members?" Tango asked. Before Jinja could respond, low laughter erupted all around them. Tango and X-Ray immediately got into a stance and looked around, trying to figure out where this new voice was coming from.

"Oh my. Look at the little children! Just arguing away without a care in the world," It said with glee. More laughter echoed all around them. It didn't sound familiar at all. Jinja gasped, and the two looked towards one of the darkened alleys. A figure stepped out dressed in black. Tango recognized it as the one that the Hand of Destiny wore. Except, similar to Jinja, she hadn't seen this guy with the wild grey hair before.

"What do you want?" Jinja challenged, immediately gripping onto a core. Both Tango and X-Ray followed suit just in case.

"Just wanting to find out where Chase Suno is of course," he said, "That should have been obvious. Though I have to say, your little group has a lot more friends than expected."

He laughed, "Doesn't matter. I got plenty of friends of my own."

As if on cue, there was growling from the other street ways. Tango looked to the closest alley, seeing a glowing pair of eyes staring back at her. The unknown man started to laugh again.

"Why don't you tell me where Suno is. Then maybe I'll let you walk away in one piece!"

Jinja growled under her breath, glaring openly at him. X-Ray leaned over to Tango and whispered closely.

"How is he controlling so many?"

Tango looked around, counting at least four monsuno figures. How _could_ he control so many at once? It didn't look like he was holding any cores. And it was only ever recommended that two monsuno be released at once. Otherwise, there was a good chance of losing control if more were spun out.

One of the figures stepped forward into the streetlight, revealing a purple monsuno. Both X-Ray and Tango gasped. They had never seen _that_ before. Jinja, on the other hand, seemed all too familiar with it. Instead of being shocked, she seemed even more enraged.

"How do you have Dr. Moto's monsuno?!" she shouted.

"Was that the name of the one who bought us? That's a shame," the guy said, shrugging, "Never actually met them, maybe the monsuno would know."

He snapped his fingers, and the beasts started to approach. Tango and X-Ray took a stance, grabbing their cores. Tango looked towards the right and faced a monsuno that looked like a panther, but could also see the other three surrounding them from the corners of her eyes. There was a moment of silence as no one took the first move. Jinja was the one to break the tension.

"Charger, launch!"

The blue core spun out to the closest monsuno, Charger crashing forward as soon as it appeared. Jinja ordered an attack, and the two Strike Squad members followed suit.

"Blockade!"

"Ironjaw!"

"Launch!"

They threw their cores in opposite directions, taking on the monsuno flanking them to the right and left. Their yellow monsuno appeared, growling out at the ones eyeing them from the shadows. As soon as Charger roared, the others started to attack.

It was chaos all around as the monsuno started grappling with each other, crashing into the street stands and nearby cars. Tango knew that it was merely collateral damage that could be replaced to hide the incident if needed, though that was hardly the case anymore now that monsuno were known to the world. She was at least grateful that no civilians were around.

"Launching Claw!"

"Power Bash!"

"You're all wasting your time," the man said, crossing his arms and looking off towards the distance, "All I need is information on Suno. It can't be that hard to give up something as simple as that, considering you're monsuno are looking pretty tired already."

Jinja growled under her breath, gripping her core tighter. Tango quickly looked around, seeing that their monsuno were getting exhausted rather quickly. They were winning, and yet, somehow they were on the defense against these purple beasts.

X-Ray let out a small gasp, and Tango turned to see him looking down at a the small screen her carried on his wrist.

"What is it?" she asked, seeing Blockade barely get a hit on the one it was facing.

"Their power level is enormous!" he stuttered, eyes widened, "These aren't normal at all!"

There was a screech, and Tango quickly looked back to see Ironjaw pinned to the ground. She let out a gasp, watching as it cried out in pain when the one on top bit down.

"I-Ironjaw!" she shouted. It whimpered, trying to fight off the one on top. Tango looked down at its core, seeing it's energy fading fast. She looked to the others and saw they weren't fairing as well either. Strangely enough, the last purple monsuno wasn't bothering with them at all, and instead stayed near the unknown man watching over them all. It was then that she noticed that he didn't seem to be interested in the fight at all. Although they were at a distance, she could see him muttering something under his breath.

"C'mon Blockade!"

Tango looked over to see X-Ray struggling as well. They wouldn't last much longer. And from the look of things, their enemy wasn't taking it serious at all.

"Ugh! We don't have time for this!" Jinja growled. Charger let out beams of light in all directions, as if from response. The shots narrowly avoided Blockade and Ironjaw, as well as their controllers.

"Jinja, we have to be smart about this," Tango said steadily, "Don't just lose your cool like that! Wait for an opening."

Jinja glared, as if trying to challenge them. Tango recognized the look as the same one that Chase or Alpha gave when they were being stubborn.

"We don't have time to wait," she snapped, "We still have to go help Dax. Not to mention Chase and the others if Darkspin is hunting them down right now-"

There was a clap, and the monsuno started to back away all of a sudden.

"Well this has gone on a little too long for my taste," the gray-haired man said, "I suppose we should end this, considering how you three have the sight. It took me awhile to make sure, but now we can end this."

Both Tango and X-Ray looked confused. They glanced at each other, shrugging. Jinja, on the other hand, only growled under her breath.

The man reached up, slowly undoing the cloth tied around his eyes. Tango blinked, realizing for the first time that it was there. As soon as the blindfold came loose, there was a splitting pressure between her ears. Tango let out a gasp, clutching her head in pain. She briefly saw the other two with the same expression, and knew they were experiencing the same thing. She tried looking over towards the man to see what he was doing, but could only see his outline as her vision blurred. Surprisingly he was just standing there.

But she was even more surprised to see green light flashing from his left eye.

HLP

 _He had to keep running._

 _He had to keep going._

 _He had to keep hiding._

 _He couldn't let her find him._

 _Those were the thoughts that kept running through Chase's mind as he ran through the deserted streets of Axistown. At least, that's where he thought he was when first waking up. No. He was in that world._

 _There was laughter echoing throughout, just out of earshot._

 _"Oh Chase! Why are you going so fast?" A voice chirped. He tried not to react, knowing that was what she wanted._

 _Chase cursed silently to himself, nearly stumbling out of exhaustion. He should've seen this coming. He knew that it was a bad idea, trying to force his monsuno sight to respond when something was wrong. And yet he did it anyway. And now he was stuck here again while everyone else was fighting._

 _He turned down another street, hiding behind the corner to catch his breath. Chase knew that all it would take to wake up was some sort of shock, but couldn't find anything that could help induce such as reaction. All the buildings were too tall to climb, and the doors were all locked. He would have to think of another way._

 _He glanced out again, still seeing the city darkened. He still felt a chill down his spine, and shivered. There was no sign of her though, and the laughter had ceased briefly. He closed his eyes with a sigh, pressing his back against the wall to try and feel stable._

 _But when he pressed his hand against the wall, he gasped. Looking down, Chase saw his hand phase right through the brick._

 _"Wha-" he said, bringing his hand up. For some reason he could see right through it._

 _"Uh oh."_

 _It was then that the alley suddenly darkened. He quickly looked to the street, seeing a figure standing there. His heart started to race again as the shadows turned into a familiar form._

 _"Finally found you!" a shadowy figure of Sophia said with a curt smile. Chase stumbled back, not taking his eyes off her. The shadows seemed to build all around as he backed away._

 _"S-Stay back!" he said, taking another step. She cackled out loud, suddenly dissolving away into the jet black shadows again. Without warning they surged forward._

 _Chase let out a loud cry, falling over his own feet and onto the ground. He held his arms up in a pathetic defense, knowing that there wasn't much hope._

 _Suddenly, light burst between him and the attack. The shadows hissed, retreating away into the street. Chase peered through his eyes, and immediately looked around for his savior. Footsteps approached, and walked right past him, standing between him and the darkness._

 _"... M-Mom?"_

 _He wasn't sure, but it looked like her. But not the form he just saw. How she looked in the real world. He didn't move until she held up a hand towards the street._

 _"Not now," she snapped, not bothering to face him as she continued to stare down the shadows that lingered. He watched as she walked forward, throwing her other hand out as the rest were vaporized in a flash of light. After they retreated, she fell to her knees with a gasp._

 _Chase got to his feet, unsure of whether to run or not. As Sophia panted, she finally looked back with a tired expression._

 _"Chase," she sighed, trying hard to not pass out from the look of it. His breath hitched. That voice. It wasn't filled with overly sweet murmurs or dripping with menace. It really was her._

 _Without hesitating, he got his knees and threw his arms around her. She was surprised, stiffening before relaxing and pulling him closer. Regrettably, he pulled away too soon for his liking, but knew he had to._

 _"What're you doing here?" he asked. Sophia let out a sigh._

 _"I was caught off guard," She said, looking to the side, "I wasn't expecting an attack. At least not in the way that they did..."_

 _Chase raised a brow, "What way? Are you talking about the Hand of Destiny? Are they here? We need to hurry and leave then!"_

 _He stood up, keeping a hold on her hand in an attempt to tug her up. She didn't bother to move, actually looking too tired to. She looked up for a moment, gasping when she saw his hand fading._ _Before she could say something, a shadow moved again. Chase turned in time to see it surge towards him. He let out a surprised yelp as Sophia yanked him away from its reach and threw another flash of light. The shadow sizzled away._

 _"... We need to get you out of here," she said firmly, "I can help guide you back. Let's not linger here."_

 _Chase nodded, getting to his feet. Sophia started to lead the way as they quickly walked down one of the pathways, though she stumbled a few times just getting out of the alley. Chase kept his arms hovering close just in case._

 _"It's a good thing we're going back. Dad was getting worried when you collapsed," he said, trying to fill the silence, "But now that you're okay, we can head back and focus on stopping Klipse and the Hand of Destiny."_

 _She slowed down, and finally came to a stop. He watched her for a moment._

 _"... What's wrong?"_

 _"I... I can't go back," she said. Chase was silent, and she shifted a bit, "At least... Not yet. I'm not done here."_

 _"M-mom. What are you talking about?" Chase said, trying to give a half-hearted grin. She didn't respond, keeping her gaze down. His face fell, now filled with worry. "... We- We have to get out of here. We need to get out before she comes back!"_

 _"That's why I'm here," Sophia said sternly, "I need to fix my mistake. I need to stop her once and for all."_

 _There was a noise at the end of the street. Sophia quickly looked over, and started to hurry Chase along._

 _"As soon as I get a bit more strength I'll help get you out and face her on my own. For now, I'll explain along the way. We need to keep moving or she'll find you," she said, keeping a grip on his arm. The shadows behind them started to stir. Chase grimaced at the look of them._

 _"... We were all trapped," Sophia said, staring ahead with a cloudy look, "When someone was brought in by the Hand of Destiny, they were forced into the darkness. The only light anyone saw was from the Well of Insight."_

 _They stopped at an intersection, looking in all the directions as hissing started in the distance. Sophia took off in the opposite direction, Chase close behind._

 _"One day, the light started to fade," she said, walking briskly, "No one knew what it meant. But that didn't matter. The Hand of Destiny was furious. S.T.O.R.M. had started to acquire more and more monsuno energy, making it near impossible to find any. I suppose it was inevitable…"_

 _"What was?"_

 _"The Well. It was... drying up," Sophia said with a sigh, "But then, your father's research appeared. Monsuno. Creatures that take the physical form of monsuno energy. No one had ever seen something like that before. At least... Not in our lifetime."_

 _There was a scream and they halted. Chase quickly turned, panicking as it was cut off. It sounded familiar..._

 _"Everyone wanted that power. The power of monsuno, including the Hand," Sophia continued, not bothering to turn around and continue to walk. Chase hesitated before following, "However, without any way of getting energy when it was so precious, they had to find another way. A way where the resources were much more... Expendable."_

 _Chase gasped, halting to a stop. Sophia sensed it, and stopped as well. She turned to him with a distressed look, but kept her eyes down._

 _"They wanted to use... Humans. And they succeeded."_

 _Chase held his breath. He never wanted to know the details of what had happened to his mother while she was with the Hand of Destiny. She always seemed to be haunted by it. Even when they had first spoken about the experiments from the Hand, she was very reluctant._

 _"But now. You'll have to face them. I can't let that happen," Sophia said, shaking her head lightly, "Not when it's my responsibility and I can do something about it."_

 _"Mom..."_

 _"That's why I can't leave," she said, looking up at him sternly, "She- Tesserah - was created because of my monsuno sight. The only one who can defeat her is me. That's why I can't leave yet. I needed to find her in this place. Except..."_

 _A breeze started to rise. Chase shivered, watching the clouds in the reddened sky build even more._

 _Laughter._

 _The two looked down the street that they came from, seeing a figure slowly following. Chase felt a chill._

 _"I'm sorry Chase," Sophia said, stepping in front of him, "All your trouble was caused by us. First when Jeredy created monsuno, and then again when I helped make them. And the only reason she's showing herself is because you're here… I understand if you want to blame me and your father for all the trouble we've caused, but know we're doing everything we can to make it right."_

 _Chase was silent. If it were a year earlier, he would have rightfully agreed that this was his father's fault. But to blame his mother for this, even thought it was against her own will was... Wrong._

 _Even with his father, he had matured enough to know that it wasn't his fault. If anything, it was people like Klipse and S.T.O.R.M. who wanted to use monsuno further were the problem._

 _He didn't have much time to think it over as the figure finally came into view. A flowing white dress and long brown hair tossing in the wind that was now howling. Giggling through the silence. A smile that was deceivingly gentle, with eyes that only held madness. Unlike the shadows that they had just seen, her presence was more then just darkness. Chase swallowed, trying not to let his gaze waver._

 _She stopped well over a few yards away._

 _"Hello again Chase," she said. He flinched. Her eyes slowly drifted to Sophia, grin not dropping a bit, "I take it you've been handling my shadows quite well?"_

 _"Tesserah, stop this at once," Sophia said, keeping one arm in front of Chase, "I know what you want, and it's not going to work."_

 _"Oh that's where you're wrong Sophia. Even though we have the same face and same body and the same memories, we aren't," the fake said looking off to the side, "Because you are alive, and I am dead."_

 _With that, she let out a laugh._

 _"At least physically that is. My restless spirit was sent here of all places. You can imagine how lonely it was, considering the only ones who can even come here are just five other people, including you two."_

 _She let out another laugh, now eyeing Chase. Sophia saw this, and stepped between them even more. The fake shrugged._

 _"Don't think you can help him escape so easily," she said, "You're too weak right now to get away. I'd like to see you try though. It's only a matter of time before he shows up."_

 _"'He'?" Chase asked, looking over Sophia's shoulder at the fake. Her gaze went to him again, and he shivered._

 _"Why don't you stay and find out Chase? You've seen him before, and he's been wanting to see you again for quite some time now," the fake said, holding up a hand, "You're important to our plan after all."_

 _Before Chase could respond, his feet were jerked from below and he fell to the ground. As soon as his palms hit and the air was knocked out of him, he was dragged back with a shout._

 _"Chase!"_

 _He twisted around enough and saw a black tentacle wrapped around his ankle as he was yanked away. There was nothing to hold onto, and he tried to kick it with no success. Just as another came up, a flash of light struck out at the shadows. Chase blinked dumbly as he was hauled to his feet by his mother._

 _"Chase. You have to calm your soul," she said, striking out as more shadows mercilessly lashed out at them._

 _"Wh-what?" He stammered._

 _"Your monsuno sight. You have to find inner peace and be guided back to the physical plane," she said, then paused for a brief moment, "I can't go with you."_

 _Chase stayed still, watching as she defended the two of them and launched bursts of light towards the other. The fake Sophia dodged with ease, gliding along without batting an eye._

 _"Chase I'm not giving you a choice. You have to go now!" Sophia shouted. More shadows appeared, almost as if multiplying by the second. The fake laughed again. Sophia let out a curse under her breath._

 _"How is she so strong now?" she hissed._

 _"I got a little power boost just now. Thanks to a little friend of yours," she said, raising her arms as the shadows around them grew larger. Chase paid no attention, holding onto Sophia's hand as they were crowded around. Sophia raised a brow at the other's words. She suddenly let out a gasp in realization. Whatever she discovered, she didn't bother voicing it to Chase and glared at the fake. Instead of attacking, Sophia took a defensive stance. A ring of light kept the darkness away as Chase stood looking between the two of them._

 _"… What's wrong? Not willing to fight now?" the fake laughed, "I guess that's to be expected when using someone else as a shield. Wouldn't want to hurt the monk boy would you?"_

 _Chase perked up. What was she talking about? She couldn't possibly mean-_

 _"Chase. Go! I'll hold them off!" Sophia ordered sharply, "You need to get out of here! I'll take care of this! Now!"_

 _"B-But. I can't leave you here! Not when I just found you!" Chase exclaimed, and tried to take her hand again. Shockingly, his hand phased right through her own. Sophia saw this and let out a gasp. Caught off guard, a shadow lashed out and struck her across the face. Sophia was thrown to the ground._

 _"Mom!" Chase shouted. The fake let out a cackle. She started to approach them, going straight for Sophia. Chase found himself frozen, unsure of what to do. Taking a deep breath, he stood in between them. The fake kept walking, eyes set on his mother who was now struggling to get up. Exhaustion must have started to take its toll, as she was panting heavily and muttering something under her breath._

 _"Don't worry Chase, it'll be your turn soon enough," the fake said, walking right through him. There was a brief moment where he felt something familiar as she passed._

 _He immediately recognized it as his youngest teammate._

 _He didn't know what it meant, but it couldn't be good. Chase turned back to the fake, fists clenched. She turned briefly to look at him._

 _"Don't give me that look. Not while you're in that state," she said with a smirk. Chase blinked and looked down, suddenly finding it hard to see his legs and arms as they faded away. He gasped, bringing his hands up to see them almost gone entirely. The fake let out a small chuckle, then turned back to Sophia, who had yet to move and was still saying something under her breath._

 _"You've been a thorn in my side for too long, Sophia," she said, stalking over, "With you gone, I'll be able to live again! Our plan will finally succeed!"_

 _She raised her arm high with the shadows, ready to strike down._

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A/N: In the future, there is the possibility of updates being more then one chapter, so try not to use the button to skip ahead just in case.

Review Review Review!


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Thanks to TactitianLyra, ChasexJinjaForever, Amy Hanekom, monsuno power, and Glowblade998 for the reviews! Sorry that the cliffhangers keep going. Hopefully it's not as bad with multiple updates at once.

Enjoy!

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The wind was howling, whipping snow and ice throughout the air in a harsh flurry. The cavern they were all in provided some shelter from the weather, as well as from S.T.O.R.M., who were probably canvasing the area. Six looked out of the opening, unable to see anything, even the mountains that were once visible a few minutes ago. He brought his snow jacket closer to his face, trying to stay warm.

"How much longer will it be?"

He heard rustling from further in, followed by a frustrated noise.

"Even longer now that you interrupted me! I can hardly see what these scrolls say in this light, let alone translate."

Six looked back, seeing his father standing near the Bookman, who was sitting on the ground looking at the scrolls from the Five Tribes that sat unrolled nearby. The older of the two cloaked people who came with them, Ehna, also stood nearby, watching diligently as a small amount of light from a lantern flickered. The Bookman let out another heavy sigh, reaching down and grabbing another scroll and looking up close.

They had been at it for at least an hour by this point, having to get shelter from the blizzard that suddenly hit and the S.T.O.R.M. soldiers who were now trying to find them. It also didn't help that they had to use another exit from the library that led them to a more arduous route to get around.

Six looked over, realizing his father was now staring at him. Or rather glaring, and was not bothering to hide his expression. The teen looked away, unable to stand that look. When he did, his eyes landed on the smaller boy, Exi, sitting against the wall staring at the ground with his knees drawn close.

...

 _"Freeze!"_

 _Six halted, seeing a gun now pointed at him by a S.T.O.R.M. soldier._

 _"Don't move," he said. Six complied, finding it hard to see with the smoke filling the room. His eyes flew to where he saw the boy last standing, but he was nowhere to be found._

 _"I have a civilian here," the soldier said, speaking into some sort of communicator. Six watched for a moment, trying to assess what to do next. He couldn't reach for Demise or call for help without looking suspicious. And he was sure that his father and the others were out of earshot by this point. What was he supposed to do?_

 _"Someone hurry! A monsuno has gotten loose!" A familiar voice exclaimed nearby. The soldier immediately looked into the smoke, taking his eyes off Six. The teen watched as a flash of green flew from the clouds and crashed into the ceiling. He and the soldier let out gasps as the room shook. Someone reached out and pulled Six away. He heard the soldier yell something out, though it was probably directed to the rest of S.T.O.R.M. at this point._

 _"You really ought to be smarter then that you weirdo."_

 _Six turned to see that it was the black-haired boy from before, frowning at him. Six felt his heart race. They were standing a few feet away from the tunnel that the others had escaped in, and there weren't any S.T.O.R.M. guards in sight._

 _As the boy looked around, trying to find a way of covering their tracks, Six knew that this was his chance. He was right there. He had the gauntlet, and a way to escape. If he succeeds, maybe his father would finally acknowledge him on his own merits. Maybe his father would be proud._

 _His hands shakily reached down towards the bag. As he dug inside and touched the cool metal, a flash of the woman in white blurred his vision. He gasped. It was the one that spoke to him. The one that was important to Chase. The one that he killed._

 _The one that he killed..._

 _... Could he really do it again?_

 _The boy noticed his blank stare and raised a brow. Before either could say something, shouts in all directions erupted as the smoke went through the ceiling and started to clear the air. The boy let out a curse, and held his palms together. There was a flash of green again, and Six saw a ball of light forming in the boy's hands. He couldn't help but marvel at the sight. He knew that these people were capable of... interesting feats, but didn't know to what extent._

 _Of course, that explained why his father was so interested in them._

 _The boy let out a gasp, and the light quickly faded as he gripped his head with one hand. He seemed to be in pain, though he was trying not to show it. He looked over and saw Six staring again, and tried forming the green light again, but failed as it flashed briefly before fizzling out completely._

 _"I saw something! Over there!"_

 _The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a glowing vial. Six immediately recognized it as monsuno essence. But for some reason, there was hesitation, as the boy didn't open the vial right away. He also didn't seem to notice Six as he silently came closer. The clone's hand edged closer to the bag with each step. He would just have to suck up his own feelings and get it over with as quickly as possible._

 _The boy finally popped the cork off with one hand, but let it drop with a gasp. It shattered as he clutched his head in pain again._

 _"Where's the monsuno?"_

 _"I don't see anything!"_

 _Six's eyes were entranced for a moment. The clone paid no attention to the shouts from the soldiers at this point, and instead stared down unblinkingly as the boy fell to his knees. Even though he was sure he was imagining it, Six could hear his father's voice calling out to act now. That he needed to finish the job that he stayed behind for. But even as he tried reaching into the bag that held the device, memories of the last time he used it emerged._

 _His hands stopped in place. The soldiers' voices seemed muted against the pained scream of that woman that looked like Chase's mom. He swallowed hard, trying to force himself to continue for his father's sake. If Chase could do simple task's for his father, why couldn't Six do the same? Why couldn't he do the same?!_

 _"There's nothing over here!"_

 _"Someone, check the scrolls!"_

 _Six reached down. Instead of going towards the bag he carried, however, he grabbed onto Demise's core. He felt his ears start to ring, probably from the gun fire. He brought the core closer, as if to try and feel the energy inside. Sure enough, there was something stirring._

 _The smoke started to clear. Six could see the outlines of the soldiers who had started to fire earlier. He didn't want to think about the order he was given by his father. He wanted to think about his monsuno in the way that Chase would. He wanted to feel whole._

 _"Demise, launch."_

 _He threw the core in the opposite direction, watching his monsuno burst from within a knock a few of the soldiers away. Demise let out a deafening roar._

 _"Demise, give us cover," Six ordered. His monsuno responded by lashing out at the soldiers nearby. It let out a blast towards one of the pillars, making the room quake even more. This time, however, it didn't stop._

 _"Evacuate everyone now! The room's coming down!" A soldier exclaimed. Six signaled Demise to come near. He turned to help the boy through the exit, but saw him already stumbling towards the stairs._

 _"The monsuno's over there!"_

 _Six turned and saw the soldiers eyeing him and Demise. He glanced around, eventually looking up._

 _"Demise, aim up above."_

 _The monsuno followed, blasting the ceiling away. As it started to crumble down, Six called back Demise and ran down the tunnel stairs. As soon as he got to the bottom, the light from the other room was dampened, as well as the shouts from the soldiers, as debris crashed down. Dust blossomed into the tunnel, making him cough. When it cleared, he saw the exit efficiently blocked. At least the soldiers wouldn't follow him or his father for a while._

 _He heard a choked sound, and turned around. Even though there were lanterns, it was extremely hard to see. After standing still for a moment, Six could make out a figure sitting against a wall, panting heavily._

 _As he got closer, Six saw that it was the cloaked boy, still clutching his head between his palms. His eyes were clenched shut as sweat started to streak his brow._

 _"D-Drift... Blade..." he rasped out. Six raised a brow. Why did that name sound familiar? Was it a monsuno? The boy continued to cringe against the wall, trying to mute his moans. Six felt the need to do something, but was unsure of what to do. He still had the task from his father to do, but that was the last thing on his mind, especially with Demise stirring in its core, as if trying to tell him not to._

 _... What would Chase do in this situation? He would probably listen to Locke, which meant..._

 _"Are you... okay?" Six asked. The boy glared up at him, trying to steady his breathing. There was something about that gaze that made a chill go down the clone's spine that he couldn't quite identify. It wasn't fear though, but it seemed familiar._

 _The boy turned away, gripping onto the wall and slowly rising. There was a thud from above, shaking loose dust from the ceiling. A few shouts from the soldiers were heard from above, most likely trying to find a way down._

 _"Are you-"_

 _"J-just… Leave me alone," the boy said, then took a few cautious steps down the hall. He winced at every step, but pushed forward. Six watched him struggle for a brief moment before looking back at the closed entrance._

 _He gazed down at Demise's core, feeling it moving inside. There was a pull for some reason that Six couldn't identify. In fact, he never felt it before to be honest, which was why he was resentful of Chase and Locke's relationship. Was he finally connecting to his monsuno in the same way?_

 _Turning back, he looked ahead into the darkened corridor. When his eyes fell on the figure still stumbling along, he was already preparing himself for what his father would have to say._

 _With a heavy heart, Six followed._

...

He could still feel Klipse's gaze as he stood looking out the cavern. He remembered that look. If it weren't for their current situation, he would probably have given Six scolding. But Klipse had to keep face, knowing that he had to get close to the Hand of Destiny for the sake of research.

That _was_ the only reason that Six had to come along after all.

"Hmm..." The bookman hummed in thought, as if he had solved something.

"... What is it?" Klipse said.

"It appears that the scrolls are meant to be used together in a certain way, which explains why Charlemange couldn't use them. Especially if she can't even read this language," he responded, then started to unravel them all, "Truly fascinating. It appears that this tells the locations of many of the ritual locations of the original Five Tribes, among other things."

The bookman shifted the scrolls around. Finally he stopped, standing as the papers laid out against each other, forming a circle with the text written on top. Klipse's eyes immediately lit up at the appearance, knowing they were closer towards finding the energy source. Six couldn't help but sigh to himself. He knew what that look meant, and usually it wasn't good. The bookman, however, had a disdainful frown.

"Bah! Why isn't it working?" he said.

"Why isn't what working?" Klipse asked, still caught up in the sight.

"This should give us clear diagram of the locations. But there's nothing happening."

"Was there something that was supposed to happen?" Six asked, taking a step further inside to escape the cold. The bookman sneered at him.

"There was, actually," he said, Klipse now joining him in the open glare. Six shifted uncomfortably under their stares. The bookman pinched the bridge of his nose, "There's a possibility that we need something from the original tribes to activate it, or perhaps monsuno essence would work... I can't say for sure..."

Ehna reached into his pocket, and pulled out a vial of glowing energy. Six recognized it as the same kind that the boy had earlier. The bookman greedily took the small bottle in his hands, and poured it in the middle of the scrolls in some sort of figure. As the last bit fell, the writing on the scrolls immediately lit up.

The old man took a few cautious steps back as the light projected a diagram on the ceiling of the cave, illuminating the whole place with a blue glow. Symbols scattered all throughout in an unreadable language similar to that on the scrolls.

"What is this?" Klipse asked, looking all around.

"It's the map of course," the bookman said, examining the ceiling and walls, "You would think that they would have made it easier to find everything."

"Believe me, there's a reason why they wanted to keep it a secret," Ehna huffed, "But what we're looking for should be close by."

Six took a step closer, marveling at the blue light and designs that scattered throughout. He hadn't seen something like it before, and he often enjoyed seeing new things, even if it meant bad news for everyone else.

"Ah! found it!" The bookman said, pointing up at one of the formations on the ceiling, "It appears to be a few kilometers away, but we should be able to arrive within a few hours, even with the blizzard. Hopefully none of the S.T.O.R.M. soldiers are near by."

"In that case, we'll need to move the monsuno essence from Klipse's base to whatever location it's at," Ehna said, then turned to Klipse, "I trust that you can manage that?"

The man's eye twitched, but he kept his lips curled in a smile, "Of course. Shouldn't be too hard. I'll contact Madea and they can grab it along the way. I'm sure they've already taken care of their task by this point. I'll send them the coordinates."

Ehna nodded, then went over to grab the scrolls with the bookman. Klipse took the opportunity to march over to Six, his expression now angry. Wordlessly, he grabbed the clone's arm and led him out into the storm. They only took a few steps as to not lose sight of the cave.

"Just what are you _thinking?!"_ Klipse hissed, still having a firm grip on Six's arm, "I told you to dispose of that little annoyance, not bring it back with you!"

Six stayed silent for a brief moment. He knew that this was coming, and yet he couldn't come up with any excuse, even in the long walk back to join up with the rest of them. And he wasn't about to lie to his father, not when he knew what would happen if he did.

Still, he had to think of some excuse other then Demise trying to tell him something. Especially since his father only saw monsuno as war machines, something that was still lost to Six.

"I thought it would be more useful... To have them stay close," Six said, trying not to waver under his father's gaze, "Especially... Since S.T.O.R.M. corned me back there. What if they got a hold of the gauntlet? Wouldn't want them getting a hold of it right?"

Klipse was silent, as if trying to find out if Six was lying. After a moment, he scratched his chin in thought.

"You do have a good point there," he said, "The last thing we need is to be going back to S.T.O.R.M. Especially with that fool Jon Ace in charge."

Six felt relief, though he kept his face straight.

"But don't think you're off the hook," Klipse said, leaning close, "I want you to stick to them as closely as you can. The Hand of Destiny is planning something, and I want to beat them to the punch. Especially if it means getting to Chase and Jeredy!"

"What should I-"

"Just watch them!" Klipse hissed, "Keep track of what they're each doing. As soon as they show us what they're planning, don't hesitate to take them out. And I mean it this time!"

Six nodded, and Klipse went back inside, the sound of moving coming from within. Watching him retreat, the teen let out a sigh, pulling the edges of his jacket's hood closer against the wind and snow. Sometimes he wondered how much of this was worth it.

HLP

The green light flooding the entire area was blinding, and Jinja immediately knew that was the cause of the sudden headache that was now splitting through her mind. She had started to get more familiar with having monsuno sight, though she still had no clue what it meant. But she knew what this pain meant. She had experienced it before when the Hand of Destiny tried to use the Pentoculos to take everyone's monsuno sight.

She grit her teeth, trying to fight it enough to give another order to Charger. She let out a pained gasp as it started to get more intense. She could see in the corner of her eyes Tango and X-Ray also feeling the effects, cringing on the ground as well.

"Are you actually trying to resist?" the gray haired man said, then started to laugh, "Don't bother. I haven't encountered a single monsuno who has been able to resist for long. You keepers are the same!"

Jinja fell to her knees, feeling the pain become too much. She could hear him start to laugh again as the light got brighter.

"If this is the best you all can do, obviously it's going to be a piece of cake taking out Suno!" he said gleefully, "I can't wait to see what he's made of!"

Jinja clutched the ground, slowly fighting off the pain to try and fight back. As she did, she felt something cold in her hand. Looking down, she saw Charger's core, still blazing brightly. Taking a steady breath, she gripped onto it tightly, feeling some relief as she did so. Almost as if Charger was trying to get her to move.

Following it's lead, she stood up. She grit her teeth, fighting back the pain as she held the core close. Charger let out a roar.

"Triple Orb!"

The monsuno let out a blast. It went high and hit the building behind the man with the glowing eye. There was a sound of the building crumbling and crashing to the ground. The green light disappeared within seconds. As soon as it stopped, the pain was lifted. Jinja sighed with relief, but stayed on alert as dust filled the alley that the cloaked man was in before. She quickly looked around, trying to find him or the purple monsuno that were there a second ago.

"Up here!"

Jinja looked up in time to see the man jumping down towards her, his eyes shut tightly. She quickly stood back, avoiding his punches as he landed and started to attack. After regaining her stance, she was able to throw a feint, and then go for a full body throw. Before she could even reach for him, he opened his left eye once again. The glowing started, and the pain returned.

It was short lived, however, as Tango came running forward with a roundhouse punch. She scored a hit right in his jaw, and the light faded. Jinja fell to her knees with a gasp of relief. She didn't have time to catch her breath as Tango grabbed her shoulders and hurried her away.

"Blockade, attack!"

A bright blast flew overhead. Jinja felt the heat of it as it came rather close. When she glanced back, she saw it hit directly where the cloaked man was standing.

"Seriously?!" Tango shouted as they ran up to X-Ray, "You could have hurt someone, X-Ray."

The brown-haired teen let out a scoff, "Yeah. Like that guy is actually human. You should know that these freaks are less then human by now Tango."

Tango rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. Instead they ran along towards the other street, Jinja now back on her feet and following close behind. After a good minute, they hid in an alley behind some dumpsters. Not the most ideal place to be, but for hiding it would do.

As they caught their breath, Jinja couldn't help but wonder how that guy back there had gotten a hold of Dr. Moto's monsuno. Was she also working with the Hand of Destiny? The last thing they needed was another enemy coming back with a vengeance.

Speaking of which, it seemed like someone else also wanted revenge, though not necessarily with Chase. That kid back there, Spike, seemed to be more then angry with Dax, and he had an Eklipse core as well. That could only mean Klipse was in the city somewhere. They just needed to figure out a way to find him. At least that's what Jinja thought they should do if it weren't for the fact that they were all split up at the moment.

"We have to find Chase and Dax!" she said, looking to the other two, "Can you find any of them?"

Tango turned to X-Ray, who was tapping away at a small screen attached to his wrist.

"It looks like the others are at some sort of stand still," he said, "And from the looks of it, Darkspin is gone. I can't find any trace of Dax..."

Jinja stayed silent, thinking over the situation. Why would Darkspin just leave? Were they after something else? Or did they take Dax and leave? Or did he manage to escape?

"What about that guy just now? Is he still there?" Tango asked. X-Ray shook his head, looking up.

"Nope. He's nowhere near us, which is kind of a good thing if you ask me," he said. The teen let out a sigh, and leaned against the wall, "What was that back there? What kind of freaks are these people?"

Jinja crossed her arms in thought. She certainly wasn't expecting for that guy back there to attack them in the way that he didn't, especially with Dr. Moto's monsuno. This complicated things. Who knew how many more monsuno they would have, especially if groups like Darkspin were helping.

"We'll just have to go back and tell the Commandant," Tango said, "I'm sure he'll know what to do."

"H-Hold on!" Jinja said, then shuffled for a second, "We... Need to find the others first. Just in case they found a lead on Klipse."

The other two exchanged looks, but seemed to agree. Jinja knew that would prevent them from contacting S.T.O.R.M., especially considering the amount of trouble Chase would get in if they did.

Before any of them could make a move out of the alley, the wind started to pick up. At first it seemed like a strong breeze, but soon turned more violent. Jinja shivered as the three of them looked up towards the sky. The clouds started to build, thunder now booming.

"Where did that come from?" Tango said, trying not to shout despite the wind now howling. Jinja took a step out of the alley, seeing where the wind was going. Some sort of tornado was building towards the center of the city, flashes of green becoming visible on the inside. Was it a wild core that went off?

"Look out!"

She was tackled to the ground as something went flying overhead. Jinja looked over to see a truck narrowly avoid her and her savior. She let out a sigh of relief.

"You need to be more aware of your surroundings," Tango huffed, standing up quickly. Jinja frowned, but didn't say anything.

"It looks like a massive amount of monsuno energy," X-Ray said, looking down at the screen, "But... It's not like normal energy... Do you guys always bring trouble wherever you go?"

Jinja glared at the teen with glasses, but turned back the tornado. It was starting to move in their direction, the weather taking a turn for the worse as it got closer. When it did however, there was a loud shout that was barely audible within.

"SUNO!"

Both Jinja and Tango ran back to the alley, looking towards the center. Squinting, Jinja could see the faint outline of someone seeming to float in the middle. She recognized it as the monsuno hybrid man.

"Oh great. It's that guy again," X-Ray groaned, "Now we gotta deal with him before he destroys the whole city."

"GET OUT HERE SUNO!"

"What do they even want with Chase? Every time he shows up it's bad news for most bad guys," Tango said. Jinja turned back to look out towards the street. Apparently the Hand of Destiny was sending out everyone to find Chase, but why? What was their plan? If only they could get the jump on them and-

Jinja let out a small gasp, looking back and forth between the tornado and the direction that they were heading in.

"… What is it?" Tango asked, seeing her reaction.

"If… What if we try and track them. We could find out if they took Dax and where the Hand of Destiny and Klipse are right now," Jinja reasoned.

"But how are we supposed to do that when we can't even get near them?" X-Ray asked. Jinja sighed, then looked up towards the sky where the tornado was building. Shaking her head, she turned back to the other two.

"Bait," she said simply, "It's obvious they're after Chase and the rest of us, so why not go with it-"

"Are you nuts?!" Tango exclaimed over the wind, "You don't know what they'll do to you!"

Jinja shook her head, not bothering to look back at them, "That doesn't matter. What they're planning for Chase is probably worse, and they might already have Dax. Besides, we have an advantage here."

Jinja grabbed one of the trackers from Tango's belt and slipped it into her boot.

"You guys can track wherever I go, which means we'll be able to find them and Dax all at once," she said. She really was trying to do this for Chase, since he wasn't exactly right in the mind at the moment. He would probably do something rash. At least this way the Strike Squad could keep an eye on him with Bren and Beyal while she looked for Dax.

Tango was giving her a wavering look, and the two locked eyes. She seemed to want to say something, but in the end just shook her head.

"Alright. If that's what you want," she said lightly. Jinja nodded, and ran away from the two. She headed straight for the storm, hearing X-Ray shouting something at her. It didn't take long to get near, though it was hard to tell what she was supposed to do. She could vaguely see the outline of the monsuno hybrid, though he didn't seem to notice her.

"Hey you!" she shouted. She saw movement on the inside, green lightning flashing. Whatever she was about to say was lost as the wind suddenly whipped all around her, picking her right off her feet. As she was tossed all around, the last thing she saw was green light flooding her vision.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, monsuno power, and Darpsonic6 for the reviews!

Enjoy!

* * *

The S.T.O.R.M. cell was much more inviting then one would think. At least when the only other thing you could compare it to is a junkyard. Of course, the people around here didn't say much, given that they were all soldiers who were forbidden to say anything to the prisoners, as Drezz had found out.

He let out a sigh as he laid on the hard mattress. At least that was welcoming. It felt like all he did at this point was lie around and do nothing, which wasn't too bad considering all the trouble that he was put through in the past few months. Sometimes it was nice to just relax and not worry about monsuno.

Dr. Tallis had him and the other Punk Monks running around for monsuno energy for the longest time. Some sort of deal with the Hand of Destiny caused that (not that he was about to start asking questions about it). However, he didn't exactly like any of those people, if one could call them people. Especially that shapeshifter who stole his appearance.

"Meeting with the Commander in five," a soldier said, "Let's go."

"What about-," another soldier started, trailing off towards the end. No doubt they were talking about Drezz.

"Just leave 'em. Doors are now triple reinforced. If he tried something, the only one who will pay for it is him. And it's not like _she's_ going to try something," the first soldier said. Footsteps wandered away, and the hall was left silent once again.

Drezz let out a sigh, leaning back against his pillow. Too bad they couldn't turn off the lights when they left. Then at least he could sleep in the cool dark...

The sound of metal clinking brought his attention to one of the nearby cells. He didn't think that many would be occupied, considering the last time S.T.O.R.M. had prisoners near each other ended up with two prison breaks. But then again, this was a more secure part of the ship. Drezz heard the sound of someone cursing, with a rather heavy accent.

"Trying to get out?" Drezz said, amused. He got up, peeking out his cell window, "Didn't you just hear them? There's no one getting out of here now. Not after that last stunt that Dr. Tallis pulled."

A blonde head of hair peeked out through the bars of the opposite cell. Charlemagne glared openly at the Punk Monk, and went back to work on her cuffs. Rather odd that she would be trying something now, considering the amount of times she had the chance to leave (according to the soldiers).

"... You know. It wouldn't be a bad thing trying to get out together. Just knowing what they're planning, it spells bad news for everyone in S.T.O.R.M.," Drezz said, leaning against the door. There was a brief pause, but the sound soon continued. He let out a sigh.

"I guess I could understand your position on teamwork, considering I was working with them at one point," Drezz said, shrugging his shoulders, "Just knowing the type of things that happened within the Hand of Destiny makes me cringe."

The sound stopped again. He looked out his window and saw Charlemagne peeking through.

"... and what was it zat made you so scared," she said lowly. Drezz grinned to himself.

"Well... Besides the shapeshifter cores, it's obvious isn't it?" he said, drawing out the conversation, "They mentioned some big plan that would take out everyone in S.T.O.R.M., possibly the world. Not that it's any different then what we do."

The woman scoffed, "Please. Maybe what Dr. Tallis and Klipse does is down at their level. But what I did was justice. My purpose was much better then controlling monsuno!"

"Yeah I suppose it was," Drezz chuckled, "After all. Controlling monsuno. Controlling people and armies. It's all the same thing in the end right?"

The woman grew silent. He probably hit a nerve. Of course, the last thing he needed was for his way out to get angry.

"... Although," he said, treading lightly, "I know the effects the Hand of Destiny had on people was a lot worse then anything that Klipse and Tallis concocted, and that is saying something. Tallis had his machines. Klipse had his monsuno. The Hand of Destiny had regular people. Men. Women... Children."

He leaned away from the window, his back against the door, "But I suppose in your defense, you probably never got to see any monsuno fights other then Chase Suno. But then again who hasn't, right?"

Silence. Drezz took a breath.

"But I guess the comfortable life at S.T.O.R.M. probably kept you too busy to even see the true terrors of monsuno-"

The sound of banging metal made Drezz jump from his spot.

"Don't you dare make assumptions about me!" Charlemagne howled, "I 'ave seen much more then you could ever imagine! And once I'm out of here I'll make zem all pay!"

She started pacing around in her cell, mumbling something under her breath. Drezz looked back out the window to see her pass by her own every so often. Well. She was riled up. Now was his chance.

"... What if I told you their plan?" he asked. He paused for a moment, waiting for her pacing to stop. When it did, he continued.

"All you have to do is go tell one of the higher ups about their plan, and I'm sure you can figure out some sort of deal," Drezz suggested. There was low laughing in the other cell.

"Oh ho ho. And I'm sure you're just going to give me zere plan without asking for something, right?" she said, "You can't fool me. What iz it zat you want?"

"All I want is my own space," he replied, "While I don't mind your company, I prefer the solitude. And I don't think I'll get that with you trying to break out like everyone else."

That was half true. In reality, he wanted to be alone to try and figure out some other plan of escape and preservation that didn't include Tallis, S.T.O.R.M., or anyone else. All he knew was that he needed to get out quickly. And hanging around the old Commandant wouldn't help with that.

Just then, the door at the end of the hall opened. Two pairs of footsteps could be heard, and both prisoners quickly got away from their cell door windows. The small compartment in Drezz's door opened, a tray sliding inside.

"Dinner time."

He didn't bother moving from his spot. Instead, he listened as Charlemagne's door panel opened as well, though she didn't say anything either.

At least, not right away.

"... Soldier."

Drezz looked through his window. The guard paused, nearly standing in attention (probably from habit).

"Yes Ma'am- Uh, prisoner."

"... Go tell Jon Ace that I 'ave some important information for him that concerns monsuno," she said, "And you better hurry. I'm sure he'll need all the help he can get."

The soldier turned to the other one in the hall, who could only shrug. There was some hesitation on their part, probably from the fact that it was Charlemagne who was telling them things. In the end, they locked the door behind them and trailed off down towards the exit.

"... Alright. You 'ave my attention," she said once they were gone, "Now. What are zey planing?"

Drezz smirked. Looks like his last ace would be coming in handy after all.

"Suno. He's the key to their plan," Drezz said, "They're planning on using him and the lynchpin, along with some sort of 'seal' thing. Something to do with a desert I think. And with Klipse it's similar..."

As he continued to relay information to the Commandant, her own lips started to curl into a knowing smirk. Drezz couldn't help but think how much chaos would start up for little Suno within the next day. Of course, that didn't mean Drezz thought he would be outmatched. Far from it.

After all, that kid was something else.

HLP

 _Chase's eyes went wide as he saw the shadows build up to come crashing down on his mother. He shut his eyes, unable to do anything with his body fading so quickly. There was a strangled noise, and then silence. When he peeked through his hands, what he saw made him gasp._

 _Instead of something happening, the two women were frozen in place. At least it looked that way at first. His mother, the real Sophia, rose from where she had collapsed. She had a triumphant grin as she looked up at her copy._

 _"...W-What... Did... You... Do!" the fake rasped out, unable to move where she stood, her hand raised above as the shadows still lingered in the air._

 _"You thought you had us all, but that turned out to be your downfall," Sophia said, slowly rising, "That was your fault. The second that you mentioned using Beyal's energy, I already had a way of countering you."_

 _Tesserah growled through her teeth as Sophia raised a hand towards her, "I suppose that was to be expected from an impulsive child. You probably wouldn't have guessed that I could reach out to his soul with your influence here. But even I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."_

 _She took a step towards her double, who was struggling to move. As Sophia got closer, Chase could see bonds of yellow light stretching across the fake's body appear, keeping her in place._

 _"Wh...at are...you... going... to do?" she asked, a bit of fear trailing in her voice, "You... Can't hurt me... Not without... Hurting... Him."_

 _Sophia frowned, her hand still extended out. Chase stood there watching the two, unsure of whether to intervene at this point. It wasn't like he could interact with them. Sophia's gaze, however, didn't falter._

 _"Well then, I guess the answer is simple," she said, "I'll just have to split you two."_

 _Sophia took a stance, making a symbol with her extended arm, all the while saying something under her breath. Chase let out a gasp as a blue aura appeared around her. The fake started to panic again, now let out a growl._

 _"Don't... Think... I'm giving... Up!" she huffed. Her raised arm started to move against the light bonds. Sophia saw this, her eyes narrowing at the other as she continued her chanting. Chase watched the two as they glared daggers at each other. The fake still managed to move her other arm though, slowly trailing over towards Chase. He immediately took a step back._

 _"Let's... See... How you... Do... Trying to... Protect... Both of them...!"_

 _Suddenly, there was a numbness that went through Chase's whole body. He let out a gasp, feeling going away from his legs and arms (not that one could see them by this point). The teen fell to his knees, his breath hitching at the pain now going through his body._

 _"Chase!" Sophia shouted, stopping momentarily. The bonds around the fake wavered, and she raised her other arm at Sophia. The shadows surged towards the woman._

 _"M-Mom!"_

 _Sophia kept her stance, the aura around her increasing as the shadows stopped a few inches short. The fake let out a cackle._

 _"Oh Sophia! Don't think... You've won yet!" she said, "You can't keep this charade up for long... Not with you... So weak... And Chase's soul diminishing!"_

 _Chase took a few deep breaths, trying to steady himself as his gaze started to blur. He needed to stay awake. He wasn't sure what help he would be, but falling unconscious wouldn't help anyone, especially his mother. He shakily looked up, catching the gaze of the fake. There was a smug look on her face, that soon grew into a smirk._

 _"I don't even... Have to move!" she said, "You'll tire eventually... And then... Chase will be mine!"_

 _Sophia clicked her teeth in anger, raising both her hands towards the fake. Her chanting suddenly changed in tone, her eyes slipping shut. The aura fizzled for a moment, then faded as it surrounded her hands. Chase felt the pressure on his body faze, and it lifted soon after. He let out a gasp of relief._

 _"Before that happens," Sophia said, opening her blazing teal eyes, "I'll just have to stop you!"_

 _Suddenly, she surged forward, grabbing the other's shoulders, and stared deep into her eyes. The fake's gaze wavered, but stayed glaring at the other. The shadows started to rush towards the two, stopping short as the wind also picked up, blowing them away. Chase nearly fell back, feeling the incredible rush of energy coming from the two. When he looked, he could see the two still standing, though it was obvious that they were both struggling._

 _"...Give... Up...!" the fake said, reaching up and taking Sophia's shoulders. Sophia kept her determined gaze, neither of them wavering. They were at a deadlock._

 _Chase could only stand there, unable to interact or help in any form. He cursed to himself. He needed to do something to help! But how was he supposed to with his body fading. He slammed his fist on the ground, barely feeling any of the pain._

 _Why couldn't he help? This was the one chance he needed to do something, and yet here he was, unable to do anything! Why couldn't he use his monsuno sight here..._

 _... Why couldn't he use Locke..._

 _As if in response, there was a jolt in his hand. Chase gasped, feeling a warmth in his palm. He looked down, seeing a blue light appear. He knew immediately what it was before it could even fully appear._

 _"... Locke," he breathed. Sure enough, the core glistened in his hand. He suddenly felt more stable, despite his bottom half fading. It didn't matter. Not when he now had a chance to fight back!_

 _Steadily getting back to his feet, Chase held onto the core, letting it's warmth fill him. The feeling in his legs was coming back, albeit slowly. He looked up, seeing the two still facing off against each other._

 _"Hey! You fake!" he exclaimed, then took off towards them, "She's not the only one you have to worry about!"_

 _He clutched onto Locke's core, and threw his fist towards her. It stopped short, being held back by the shadows now swarming around them. That didn't deter Locke, who started to buzz within the core. The blue light from it started to get blinding. Chase didn't let his gaze waiver, and instead stood there, trying to push the core closer against the shadows trying to get to him._

 _"Do you... Think you can... Stop me?!" the fake roared, the energy around them charging up the air._

 _"I... Won't let you... Hurt her!" he exclaimed, gripping onto the core even tighter. He felt it starting to burn hot. There was a look of terror in the fake's eyes as she let go of one of Sophia's shoulders to try and command the shadows. It failed, even as they tried to surge towards Chase, Locke's light burning them away._

 _Sophia took the chance to act, reaching forward with one of her hands and grabbing onto the fake's back. The blue light on her palms grew brighter as well. The fake let out a pained gasp, slowly looking back towards Sophia. She started to raise her other hand, but failed as Chase let out a shout._

 _"LOCKE!"_

 _The fake let out a groan, then threw her other hand towards Chase as well, trying to fight off his attack. Sophia took that chance and reached forward, now grabbed a hold of the fake's back. Even with the light being cast off Locke's core, Chase could see her trying to pull at the other. After a second, he saw that she was actually pulling someone away._

 _"Don't think you can stop me!" the fake shouted at Chase. All of the dark shadows surged at him. He felt them wrap around his torso and arms, reaching towards the core. As if knowing, Locke's core shone even brighter, energy now casting off of it in large waves._

 _The fake suddenly let out another surprised gasp. Chase could see his mother fall backwards, holding Beyal close to her as the energy around them started to crackle. There was switch of power as soon as the two fell backward. Chase found himself able to fight back. With one last shout, he pushed the core forward._

 _As soon as it touched her finger tips, it was as if a bomb had gone off._

 _The light became unbearably bright, and he was forced to look away. A pained scream rang through the air before being muted out by the rush of energy. Chase kept his hand up, feeling Locke's rage burning everything away._

 _After a moment, he realized nothing was happening._

 _Slowly, he eased his eyes open. There was nothing but white all around, the only other color being the blue glow coming from the core in his hand._

 _"What..." he said, glancing around. He couldn't help but wonder if he had failed in the battle. That perhaps his soul finally faded away and that this was the true afterlife._

 _But then, he saw someone else's figure._

 _Just a few feet in front of him, where the fake image of his mother stood, was a girl. Probably no older then ten. She looked up towards him, her eyes bright green. Her mouth moved, saying something inaudible._

 _She quickly faded away into the light, briefly giving him a smile of relief._

 _The white all around him dimmed, and he was left standing back in the darkened street of the dream Axistown. He blinked realizing that his mother was sitting a few feet away, Beyal lying in her arms. She gave him a worn smile._

 _"It looks like... We did it," she said, letting out a steady breath. Chase looked around, feeling strangely lightheaded._

 _"Are you okay?" Sophia asked._

 _"Y-Yeah. Never better," Chase said, still looking._ What was that?... Who was that?...

 _"... Is something wrong?" Sophia asked, seeing the faraway look in Chase's eyes. He shook his head._

 _"N-No. Not at all," he said. He shuffled a bit where he stood, "... Actually. Did you see that just now? Who was that?"_

 _"Who was who?" she asked, "There was a flash and all I could do was hold off against the energy that was being given off you two... You had me scared there for a moment. I thought you weren't going to make it."_

 _Chase let out sigh, then laughed out of relief, "Y-yeah. Me too. I guess I have Locke to thank for that."_

 _He looked down at the core, still shining a bit brightly. He didn't care how, but he was glad that his monsuno showed up when it did._

 _... Maybe he just imagined that girl._

 _"Anyway, how's Beyal?" he asked. In all honestly, the monk looked fine, as if he were just sleeping._

 _"He just seems a bit weak from Tesserah using up all his energy. I'm sure he'll wake up soon enough," Sophia confirmed, "I can't believe she managed to get a hold of him though just to attack me. How'd she even manage to get him alone?"_

 _Chase looked off to the side, biting his lip. He already knew the answer to that. It probably happened the last time they were here when he tried to find the fake Sophia. He shook his head. No use in beating himself up for that. Not now that it was all over._

 _"Still, we have to get the two of you out of here," Sophia said, then stopped for a moment. She suddenly let out an exhaustive laugh, "... I mean all three of us. For some reason, I thought this battle would rage on for a bit longer. I guess now that she's gone, I can rest easy."_

 _Chase let out a laugh again. Yes. Now that they were safe, he could focus on the other task. Finding and stopping the Hand of Destiny and Klipse-_

 ** _"But would you really want that Sophia?"_**

 _The two let out gasps, hearing the new voice that joined them. Chase jumped to his feet, looking all around. Towards the end of the alley, the shadows started to form a figure. Chase stood in front of the other two, thinking that they had somehow missed destroying the fake. The figure formed, revealing a cloaked person with their face hidden by the shadows of their hood._

 _"_ ** _I didn't expect you two to defeat Tesserah so easily,"_** _they said, voice deep and booming, "_ ** _I guess it matters not. Especially considering everything is already falling into place."_**

 _Chase frowned, not taking his eyes off them, "Who are you?"_

 _Surprisingly, the person reached up to their hood and removed it. Chase was a bit stunned, seeing an older man with graying brown hair and green eyes that he had never seen before. But for some reason, Chase couldn't help but think he was familiar..._

 _"_ ** _Don't worry Chase. We'll have plenty of time to reacquaint ourselves later,_** _" He said, "_ ** _But for now, I need to speak to your mother."_**

 _He turned to Sophia, who tightened her grip around Beyal, who was finally starting to stir._

 ** _"... We've found it. The true key to monsuno,"_** _he said, earning a gasp from Sophia,_ ** _"Relish in your small victory here, as the end will be coming soon. And don't think your husband's lynchpin will be able to stop us."_**

 _He turned back to Chase._

 ** _"And I welcome you to try just that. And know that those important to you will be facing something far worse if you don't come. We'll give you until the dawn of tomorrow. I'm sure your other friends will be able to figure out where to meet us."_**

 _With that, the man faded away into the shadows without another word. Chase stayed still, looking all around in case he came back. But the presence had left, and Sophia let out a sigh._

 _"... Are you alright?" Chase turned around to see that she was speaking to Beyal, who's eyes were rather unfocused for a moment. He blinked slowly, then looked back and forth between the two._

 _"Oh. Hello Mrs. Suno," he said simply, sitting upright and scratching his head, "... Were we talking about something just now? In the garden?"_

 _Sophia let out a small giggle, "Not quite, but I'm glad to see that you're alright."_

 _Chase let out a chuckle as well, quickly forgetting about the man who had just appeared. He frowned at that thought though. Who was he?_

 _Sophia saw his expression, and let out a sigh._

 _"... I suppose we ought to leave," she said, shoulders slumping. Chase couldn't help but nod in agreement, even though he felt much better now. It felt as if air around them had suddenly lightened up somehow. As if an incredible weight had been lifted. He felt himself able to breath a bit easier._

 _But that was short lived. As Locke's core suddenly faded away, Chase felt his body jerk, and his body fell under its own weight._

 _"Chase!" Sophia shouted, the two running towards him. She gripped onto his shoulders, easing him to the ground._

 _"I... Feel..." he started, but felt unable to form the words. He lifted his hand where Locke's core once was, and no longer saw it there. Or his hand for that matter._

 _Beyal let out a gasp, "His soul is fading fast- It never made it to this plane properly!"_

 _"His soul came here when Tesserah dragged it away from his body," Sophia said, trying to calm the two of them, "When he summoned Locke's spirit here, it probably took the rest of his energy."_

 _"... Oh," Chase said simply, as if he didn't really process what was happening._

 _"Shh... Don't say anything," Sophia said gently. She started to chant something, and Chase felt an ease going through his body, "Beyal, help get him back to the real world. I need to stay to make sure that..."_

 _Chase could barely hear that last part, his mind starting to go to mush. He could see Beyal move to his other side and hold onto Chase's shoulder. He also seemed to be saying something to his mother, who's expression grew panicked._

 _"Chase! Meet me back at the Cloud Carrier. I'll explain everything there!" Sophia shouted, voice fading. He nodded faintly, his vision blurring and getting darker as his consciousness started to sink into darkness. He could still hear her saying something to him, even after her image faded. Soon, he stopped focusing on them entirely and let himself slip away._

 _..._

 _..._

 _..._

Chase gasped, his eyes shooting open as he looked all around. The light was blinding, especially because he was kept in the dark for so long. His eyes darted all around, trying to make sense of everything around him.

"... I think he's coming to."

"Chase, can you hear me?"

He blinked, slowly looking over to the fuzzy faces that started to get clearer. He let out a sigh at the sight of the nearest teen with brown-hair and glasses.

"Hey B," he said, steading his breath. Bren let out a sigh of relief. Chase shut his eyes against the harsh light, trying to get a hold of himself. He could feel his body pressing against the cold metal floor, which meant that he was back. Still, he didn't want to move too fast-

"... You alright there, Suno?"

He looked over and saw bright red-hair. Immediately, he ignored the pain and sat up.

"Alpha? What are you doing here?" Chase asked. There was an annoyed look on the Strike Squad leader's face at the question.

"What do you mean 'what am I doing here'? What are you doing here? Don't you know not to go running off on your own at this point?" Alpha exclaimed. Chase frowned, then glanced down at his hands. The red-head let out a steady sigh, obviously wound up. It was then that Chase noticed that, surprisingly, they weren't back at S.T.O.R.M.

"Where...?" he started, then realized they were in the back of one of the cloud hoppers. It wasn't the one that they had stolen, so it must've been the one that Alpha came in.

"How're you feeling?" Bren asked, "It looked like you were going into a seizure for the past few minutes."

Chase blinked, remembering what just occurred.

"Oh. Just settling something," he said simply. He didn't feel like explaining everything (at least not in front of Alpha). Bren raised a brow, but didn't press the issue (he probably didn't care about this mystic monsuno stuff).

Chase leaned backwards, already feeling some relief. Despite getting that cryptic message from that unknown man, he could feel at ease knowing that is mother would be waiting back at the cloud carrier for him and the others-

He blinked. Sitting back up, Chase looked around. He could see that the cloud hopper wasn't moving, but there was also no one else around, not even the other Strike Squad members.

"Bren... Where's Beyal?" he asked. Bren grew silent, eyes trailing away. Chase looked around again, "And... Where's Jinja and Dax? Are they not back yet?"

Bren looked away, a rather distressed look on his face at the mention of the last two. Alpha, on the other hand, seemed to be angry. But neither of them responded.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever and TacticianLyra. Yes here's another chapter! Beta's leaving for the weekend so I thought I might as well get another chapter out.

Enjoy!

* * *

He needed energy.

He was already feeling weak from the lack of monsuno energy, but was feeling even weaker knowing that he could hardly stand touching the stuff. Not with flashes of that yellow beast coming every time he did. Even with just trying to use what little energy he had, the image of that creature would show up, along with the flurry of emotions with each vision.

Most of them were the same. Pain. Anger. Fear. He didn't like it, especially because they weren't his own feelings.

His hands were almost shaking all the time now. The others probably thought it was because of the cold, and hopefully Ehna didn't notice. Otherwise, there could be trouble (he needed to stay useful after all, and he couldn't do that without monsuno essence).

"So this is it huh?" Klipse said.

The group stood outside a large red wall, the cold wind still flowing all around them. From the look of it, it was some sort of temple. Though by the worn walls, it had probably seen better days.

"According to the map, this is where the seal is," the bookman said, "who would have thought that this was where those monks were hiding this whole time. I'm surprised I let this through my sight for so long. If I had known where it was, those two wouldn't have caused me so much trouble."

"Save your regrets for later. Right now we have a mission," Ehna said, then looked around. He spotted a platform nearby with a large bell. He walked over, taking a rope in hand and ringing it.

They all stood there, waiting for something to happen.

"I doubt that there's anyone around now. We ought to just go inside," the bookman said, "That little monk is probably still running around with Chase Suno, and if I remember right, the old man is long gone."

"No. There's definitely someone in there," Ehna said, ringing the bell once again. The wind started to howl, and Exi shivered again. Was his coat always so thin? For brief second, he thought he saw Ehna looking at him, but everyone's attention was drawn to the door as it slowly opened. A woman with short brown hair appeared, dressed in simple brown and yellow robes.

"Hello there. We seek sanctuary within these walls. Could you perhaps spare some room within?" the bookman said dropping his hood, his voice instantly losing it's menacing tone for something more meek. The woman looked to each of them, as if assessing them. She kept her gaze on Klipse for a moment, who seemed to recognize her as well. He looked away.

"... Despite my best judgement, I cannot deny anyone entry," she said, "However, you may only be allowed within the main hall. Don't wander too far. I'll also need to confiscate your cores."

She stepped aside, beckoning them towards the steps. There was some hesitance from Klipse and the bookman, but Six went up without missing a beat. They all entered slowly one by one, the woman watching them carefully as they placed their cores in her hands. Before Exi could go near the door, Ehna had grabbed his wrist and pushed something in his hand.

"Take it as soon as we get inside," he whispered, and went ahead. The raven-haired boy could already tell what it was by the small shape. He gulped, feeling his heart beat faster. He followed along, trying not to look suspicious. The woman closed the door shortly after.

Inside was a large courtyard, completely deserted. There was a rather large crater towards the far side, though it was starting to fill with snow.

"This way," the woman said, guiding them. The small group entered the large red doors into an even larger hall. A staircase led further into the temple, with windows casting soft light all around. Torches provided a surprising amount of heat that filled the room.

"You may stay in here," the woman said, "I will warn you though: if you snoop around too much, I won't hesitate to take you out myself. I'll see if there's anywhere you can stay until the storm dies down."

With that, she left them alone. As soon as she was out of sight, the bookman and Klipse let out sighs.

"I didn't think one of the Desert Wolves would be here," Klipse said.

"I didn't think there were any monks left," the bookman said, eyeing the direction the woman left in, "Although... I'm sure she could prove useful in some way-"

Exi let out a sigh, feeling some relief from the cold as he stood by one of the blazing torches. He could still feel the small glass vial in his hand, and gave a quick sweep of the room. The old men were talking about something (probably related to Suno), and Ehna seemed to staring off out the window. The clone, on the other hand, tried to look like he wasn't doing anything, merely standing there shifting from one foot to the next.

While he wouldn't admit it, Exi was somewhat grateful for him coming to his aid back in the library. When those flashes of that monsuno came, it was jarring and unexpected that he could barely use any of what little energy he had (which just made it all the more frustrating that he couldn't touch the stuff, already dropping his vial for that day).

Klipse suddenly let out a groan.

"This is just going to complicate things," he said, looking down at a small communicator he held.

"... What is it?" the bookman asked, still eyeing the stairs that the woman had walked up.

"It appears that my hired men have gotten a hold of some test subjects for me," Klipse replied, "But unfortunately, if they're meeting us here, that woman can pose as a problem."

"Does she work for Core Tech or S.T.O.R.M.?" Ehna asked, turning around towards them, arms folded together.

"Neither of them," Klipse said, "She was under orders from a man named Jack. He was on his own with his own group the Desert Wolves. Though he did obtain a few Eklipse cores somehow."

Exi blinked. Jack? For some reason that name was familiar. He stood there thinking as the others silently waited for the woman to appear.

Oh! That's right. Ehna mentioned that the man had one eye and mechanical limbs. And for some reason, he had a run in with him back when the older tried to infiltrate that S.T.O.R.M. base in the desert. Would that mean that the man would recognize him? Or was Ehna smart enough to not look like himself?

"... Regardless," Ehna said, walking over to Klipse, "My companions will be here soon as well. If anything, this just means we need to work fast."

He turned to the bookman, "Which way is the seal?"

The bookman scratched the back of his neck.

"Well... It's hard to say. I have heard that this temple holds many secrets. Some of which that only the monks know of," he said, a sinister smirk growing on his face, "Which is why I think questioning that woman might be a good idea, considering she's dressed like one of them."

Exi frowned and turned away. He didn't like that look that the old man had. It reminded him too much of Petros and the other members of the Hand of Destiny when they looked into the Well of Insight. For them, they craved power, but for that old man, it was hard to tell.

Suddenly, Ehna walked over to the boy, grabbing his arm and away from the rest of them. The older locked eyes with the clone as they passed by, but didn't say anything. Once they were out of hearing, Ehna brought the other closer.

"... Now listen," he said, facing away from the others, "Don't think I haven't noticed you getting weaker. I could tell something was up ever since we left that S.T.O.R.M. prison, especially since you haven't exactly been as rowdy."

Exi tried not to catch the other's gaze. Ehna let out a sigh, "Now I'm not going to get mad at you like Petros would, but whatever is wrong, get it together! Suno will be here in a matter of hours, and the last thing we need is for you to be slacking."

He let go of the boy's arm and walked back to the others.

"... I'll take care of the woman," he declared, moving up the stairs, "Just make sure to keep quiet until I come back. It could get messy if the rest of this place isn't empty."

With that the older teen ran up the stairs where the woman had gone, leaving the rest of them behind.

HLP

 _"Beyal, wait!" Bren exclaimed, getting to his feet. Just as he said that, the tall woman swiftly brought her fingertips down at the monk's forehead, making him suddenly go limp in her grasp._

 _Alpha kept an eye on her, making small gestures to Kilo to slowly move towards them as she lowered Beyal to the ground with a surprising gentleness. The red-haired teen wasn't sure what the two had said to each other, but he wasn't about to take any chances in case she pulled a fast one. He knew what these people were capable of, and there was no telling what their motives were. Only that they were after Chase._

 _She must've seen their movement, as she quickly looked back up to them. Alpha stopped, feeling a cold chill go up his back at the rather dark stare she was giving him, almost as if she was silently challenging them. She looked back over to where Chase was lying, and Alpha froze. Surprisingly, she didn't go near him._

 _"You probably didn't catch any of that," she said, "But I can't do anything to Suno until this one gets back. But believe me, I won't hesitate to take him as soon as the monk awakens."_

 _Alpha took a sharp breath, looking back to Chase. Bren was close by, but he seemed preoccupied with looking over the other. The red-haired teen looked over to Kilo, would made a silent gesture. Alpha nodded, and backed away. Instead, he stood between the woman and Chase, making sure to keep some distance in case he needed to call out Tripwire._

 _They stood there for what felt like an hour, none of them making a move. Bren kept looking back and forth between Beyal and Chase, but stayed next to the latter. Alpha glanced around, wondering where Bravo had gone, and if he caught up to that man. He let out a sigh._

 _There was a sudden sound, and he looked to his communicator. It was probably Tango, X-Ray, or Bravo. He looked to Kilo, who gave him a nod. With one last cautionary glance towards the woman, he answered._

 _"Alpha here."_

 _"It's Bravo."_

 _"What is it? Is it Eklipse?"_

 _"No. And the tall man from Klipse got away." He heard Bravo sigh, "I don't know how, but I lost him... And I thought I saw the guy from the ruins a few days ago."_

 _Alpha glanced back to the woman._

 _"Yeah. Me and Kilo met up with someone as well," he said, "Listen. If you can track them down, trail behind, but don't confront. Just keep an eye on them. If they come back this way, then you have permission to attack. But be smart, me and Kilo are a bit busy at the moment and I don't know where Tango and X-Ray are-"_

 _"Alpha look out!"_

 _He quickly looked to see that the woman had produced a crystal like blade from her sleeve and was now charging towards him. No, not him. Chase._

 _Luckily, Alpha's reflexes kicked in. The first thing he did was reach down to his belt and pull out an extending blade, something that Charlemagne had given to him during his first few days at S.T.O.R.M. Without hesitating, he got in her path towards Chase._

 _He swung his sword around just in time to stop the woman's own blade from cutting him in half, nearly getting knocked off his feet from the sheer amount of strength. Gritting his teeth, Alpha changed his stance, trying to push back against the woman's attack._

 _She let out a huff, which came off more as a laugh._

 _"What's so funny?" Alpha said, preparing himself._

 _"Oh nothing," she said, "It's just interesting that a child like you would be playing with something so dangerous."_

 _With that, she jumped back, then brought her blade forward in a thrust. Alpha narrowly dodged, bringing his own between the two. A few sparks flew in the air where his steel hit. Without blinking, he grabbed the handle with his other hand and brought it around in a broad swing._

 _She sidestepped with ease._

 _When Alpha quickly looked around, he could see Bren stepping in front of Chase just in case, a core in hand. Alpha was also able to see Kilo now running towards Beyal. The woman obviously noticed as well, as she suddenly threw shards of crystal towards him._

 _"Kilo, look out!"_

 _The teen narrowly avoided being stabbed as he dove back. Using that as a distraction, Alpha raised his blade and ran forward with a shout._

 _Just as it came down, the woman grabbed it with one hand and snapped it in half. Alpha stared with wide eyes as it fell to pieces, seeing her hand was the same crystal as the blade. Before he could even question it, she brought her foot around and kicked him in the gut._

 _With a pained gasp, he was launched backward._

 _"Alpha!"_

 _He rolled a few times, finding himself near Chase and Bren, who was in shock at the fight. Alpha coughed a few times, gripping his stomach where he was hit. Their armor was supposed to protect against any physical damage, so the fact that he could feel pain was utterly surprising._

 _"Listen boy," the woman said, clearly at Alpha, "The only reason I haven't disposed of any of you was because it was against my orders. I suggest you use this opportunity to escape before Suno awakens. Otherwise, I can't guarantee that your blade will be the only thing broken."_

 _..._

Chase was silent throughout the story. Alpha was a bit surprised by this, and even more surprised that he didn't jump out of his bed to try to run off again. Of course, the wind storm outside was more then a little daunting, which probably made him hesitant.

Alpha let out a sigh. Admittedly, he didn't like leaving Kilo behind to deal with the woman, seeing that he had a hard time just on his own. She even broke his strongest blade that was supposed to hold up against even the toughest of monsuno.

"So you just left Beyal and Kilo behind?" Chase asked, more surprised then angry.

"It's not my fault you suddenly took a turn for the worse!" Alpha said, folding his arms, "We were just about to head back to S.T.O.R.M. when you snapped out of whatever thing you were in."

Alpha was a little grateful that Chase did just then. He didn't like the idea of leaving behind any of his squad, especially if that woman was anything like that monsuno man they saw earlier that week.

"... I don't think she'd hurt Beyal either," Bren pipped in, "Otherwise I'm pretty sure she would've, seeing how easily she tossed Alpha around."

"Hey!"

Chase bit his lip, "Still... Something doesn't feel right. She was with Dom Pyro, who was probably hired by Klipse, so why would she give up on going after us so easily?"

"It was a deal your friend made," Alpha said, leaning against the wall, "that woman back there said as much."

At least that was what Alpha assumed, seeing that she wasn't willing to follow them even when they took Chase along, and was more concerned with Beyal. He kind of wished that X-Ray had been there to translate whatever deal they had made.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Chase said, getting up, "I'm alright now. Let's go back!"

He wobbled for a second as he tried to take a step, Bren hovering close by. Alpha sighed deeply.

"You're in no shape to go after anyone," he said, "Besides, I already have Kilo standing guard back there. He can take care of himself and Beyal a lot better then you could in your current state."

Bren clenched his fist, "Just what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means that Chase still has a lot to learn," Alpha said harshly. He was getting tired of Chase's childish charade, so his outburst was probably inevitable. Especially considering how much he had been cleaning up most of Chase's messes this week.

"Do you even know where the rest of your teammates are?" he continued, "Or even if they're okay? Or were you just planning on running around hoping that the answers would just fall into you lap like they usually do?!"

"That's not fair and you know it!" Bren shouted, "You don't know the things we've gone through these past few years. And I doubt you would even understand the things we've had to face when it comes to-"

"... He's right."

Both Bren and Alpha froze, and both turned to Chase. He had a rather disdained look on his face as he looked down at the floor.

"I... I haven't learned a thing. I decided to leave S.T.O.R.M. on my own. It's my fault we split up from Dax and Jinja. It's my fault Beyal got caught. The only reason the Hand showed up was because of me..." He shook his head, "Even now... I'm not sure what to do other then try and run off to help... But I don't even know what that would mean for everyone else..."

Something started to beep loudly, and Alpha realized it was his communicator. With a sigh, he picked it up.

"Alpha here."

"It's Kilo," the voice said, "We managed to get back Suno's friend. Though Bravo's a bit on the worn out side-"

"If you kept up then you would be too!" A voice pipped up.

"Anyway," Kilo continued, "The woman ran off as soon as that tornado disappeared. We're going to head back to the cloud hopper after the wind dies down a bit more."

"Roger," Alpha said, ending the call. He looked down at his communicator for a second, wondering if Tango or X-Ray would call with just as much news on their end. He kind of hoped that the other two from Chase's group were fine (well... Maybe Jinja more then Dax).

"It looks like Kilo and Bravo managed to get your monk friend back," Alpha said, frowning as he folded his arms together, "But don't think that's going to get you off the hook. As soon as they get back with Tango, X-Ray, and your other two friends, we're heading straight back to S.T.O.R.M."

Chase didn't look up, nor did he protest, which Alpha found odd. Not even Bren had much to say.

Well.. Whatever. It wasn't like he needed their approval anyway-

"Alpha!"

They all turned to see Tango and X-Ray in the doorway of the cloud hopper, panting heavily. The wind was still slowly dying down outside, with the two looking extremely disheveled.

"What? What happened?" Alpha asked, going over to them.

"It was an ambush," Tango said, catching her breath.

"What?!"

"Darkspin was here," X-Ray said, "They got Dax and left without a trace. I can't find them anywhere!"

Chase and Bren both let out gasps. Alpha kept calm, not bothering to look back at the two.

"What about Jinja? Did you find her?" he asked. Tango straightened up a bit, but kept her gaze low.

"... She's also gone," the raven-haired girl said, "that monsuno man was back. He was looking for Chase, but left when Jinja confronted him. That was over an hour ago, and we can't find them either."

Alpha felt his heart drop a bit. Not only did they catch Dax, but they also got Jinja. How...?

"She had a plan though!" X-Ray said, bringing up the screen on his arm, "She has a tracker. We know where they're heading! And wherever they're going, they're heading there fast. We need to get moving!"

Alpha nodded, immediately sending a quick message to Kilo and Bravo to head back to the cloud hopper.

"... Jinja really thought that?" Chase asked. Tango nodded to him.

"She said she knew that they were after you no matter what, but also knew they would jump at the chance of catching any of your friends if they showed up," she said.

"She also knew that they'd go back to whatever base they have with Dax too, seeing that Eklipse teamed up with the Hand of Destiny," X-Ray added.

Alpha felt something buzz on his belt. At first he thought it was his communicator again, but soon realized it was Tripwire's core. He picked it up, seeing it shining bright inside. Almost as if it was urging him to go...

"... Alright then, new plan!" Alpha declared, "As soon as the others get back here, we're heading out after them-"

"But what about heading back to S.T.O.R.M.?" Chase asked. Alpha frowned. Despite wanting to do everything in his power to prove that following the code was what would get them victory, he felt the urge to follow the rest of them and go after the Hand themselves.

And he wasn't about to ignore his partner either.

"... We'll send them the coordinates once we get them," Alpha said, "We'll be needing the back up when taking down both Eklipse and the Hand of Destiny tonight!"

HLP

He was furious at Six, but it wasn't like he could show it. Not with their group so small and close together. He needed to keep face after all, otherwise his deal could go down hill. Klipse stood there in the main hall, trying not to stomp off into the courtyard, if only because he wasn't sure if that mute woman would come back down (that and the snow storm outside was starting to pick up again).

Instead, he was content with staring down Six from across the way. The clone was sitting against one of the pillars, staring blankly ahead. He had been doing that nonstop ever since they left the library. Why would he even do that? Even though they were basically the same person, Klipse found it irritating that he couldn't figure out what he was thinking. It was probably Suno's DNA that was the problem.

It was after a few hours that the sound of the bell outside rang out. None of them made the move to go to it. It rang a second time.

"... I suppose I'll get it," Six said as he stood up. He left the hall without another word, Klipse's eyes trailing after. He looked over to the bookman, who was looking over the scrolls once again. He was insistent on finding out the absolute location of that seal without having to look around.

There was a buzz. Klipse saw that Tallis was calling him. He turned away and answered.

"What is it? You better have some good news."

"I-I-I got the b-b-bomb!" Tallis stuttered out, "I just t-tested out a s-sm-smaller version when escaping S.T.O.R.M.! It w-works!"

Klipse grinned darkly.

"That is good news," he said, "What is your status currently?"

"W-We are on our w-w-way back to the j-junkyard," Tallis said, "Drezz is still a-at S.T.O.R.M. and we m-m-might go back for h-him."

Klipse looked over and saw the raven-haired boy staring at him across the hall. Klipse sneered a bit. He didn't like the way those green eyes stared from under his hood. Klipse turned away.

"Forget about him," Klipse said, "Listen, meet me at the following coordinates. They're starting their plan, and we need to get a head if we want to get to Suno first."

"..."

"... Tallis," Klipse growled out, "We only have a matter of hours before Suno gets here. I don't care if you have to drag that hunk of metal here on your own. We _need_ it here, unless you would like to see the world taken over by someone other then you or I."

"... I see your p-point," Tallis agreed, "I'll be there in two."

The call ended with a click, and Klipse exhaled, quickly sending his current location. Despite his idea of using Six and his gauntlet, it was obvious that plan would probably fall through, considering the clone's lackluster performance recently. He needed an alternative, and his plan with Tallis was perfect.

Ever since he made the deal with the Hand of Destiny back on the cloud carrier, Klipse knew that he would have to tread lightly when it came to trusting them. Of course, what little information he got about the location during that time was enough for Klipse to start his own planning.

A place that rejects monsuno from spinning out.

A place that can produce the most rich and pure monsuno essence in the world.

A place that he could take for his own without S.T.O.R.M. or Suno interfering. That was enough for him to agree to helping.

Of course, as a scientist, Klipse wanted to use the opportunity to fine out more on those experiments as well, if only to see exactly where the Hand of Destiny went with their research. From his observations, it was obvious that the one leading was what gave them the idea of shapeshifting cores (something Klipse resented a bit). Two of them had monsuno like abilities, though one of them ended up being more man then monsuno. Klipse smirked to himself, at least he was able to have full control of the monstrous form of Jon Ace, while it was obvious the Hand's monsuno man was still somewhat human. Too bad Jeredy changed the commandant back, otherwise it would've been a full success.

That child, on the other hand, was a bit of an enigma. Klipse hadn't seen any abilities from him yet, but for some reason the child didn't seem completely necessary. Which was the only reason that Klipse wanted Six to take full advantage of the gauntlet, and yet, he managed to fail even that.

Just then, the doors reopened. Six was the first inside, followed by Madea, her men, and a teen that Klipse recognized from Grandma Future's monsuno fighting ring. The other three from the Hand of Destiny appeared behind them. The monsuno man was carrying the unconscious forms of two of Suno's friends, something that caught Klipse off guard for a moment.

"Oh honey, we're back!" Madea exclaimed, "And I love what you did to the place! What an upgrade from that little hole in the ground in the lowlands-"

"Quiet down woman!" the bookman hissed, scrambling to get the scrolls together, "There's at least one monk still here that's watching over, and the last thing we need is to be forced out."

Madea continued to smirk, hiding her lips behind her hand, "Oh? Are you seriously afraid of a few monks that you would be willing to comply? Ha! I didn't know Klipse hired such cowards!"

At that, Klipse growled a bit. Before he could let out a retort, there was the sound of someone stumbling down the stairs. He looked over to see the brown-haired teen gripping onto the stair railing.

"Oi! Ehna, we brought you some presents," the gray haired man said. Klipse raised a brow. It was the one with the blindfold that stopped those monsuno back in Moto's lab. He'd have to keep an eye on that one too. Ehna let out an exhaustive sigh, finally getting to his feet properly and taking a few more steps down the stairs. Klipse took the time to look over, and realized something rather simple.

"Where's Suno" he asked. Madea was the first one to respond.

"Oh? I didn't know we were going after Baby Suno! I would've gladly stayed behind a bit longer if I knew we needed to bring him along instead of grabbing the lowlander," she said, then tapped her chin, "Although I'm surprised you got a hold of the girl. I always remember her being rather… Persistent."

"We don't need Suno…" Ehna huffed out, "At least… Not yet."

Klipse raised a brow. He expected the teen to come back with the woman's appearance, but clearly that didn't happen.

"Where's the monk woman?" the bookman said immediately.

"... Don't worry about her. She's taken care of," he said steadily, "And I also managed to find out where the seal is hidden. Meaning we start preparations now."

"Alright then," Klipse said, then looked over to Dax and Jinja, "In that case, I ought to make my own preparations as well. I'm sure a few hours are plenty of time to create a few monsuno-hybrids out of those two."

Klipse took a step towards the two, being a bit weary about the monsuno man that was holding them. Even he had a rather fearsome stare that was fixed on the other, and he didn't make a move to drop the two either despite Klipse's declaration.

"You can't use them for your experiments," Ehna said, "We need them to lure Suno here."

Klipse grit his teeth, "Except you weren't the ones who caught them both. That might be true for the girl, but the lowlander is mine to deal with as I please."

The teen frowned, then marched right up to Klipse. He tried not to look intimidated, despite feeling a chill up his back at the green eyes staring him down.

"Despite what you think, _we_ had a deal," Ehna said, eyes narrowed, "And it would be in your best interest to uphold that deal. Unless you think you can manage taking on both Suno _and_ our group."

There was a snap. Madea let out a sound of excitement. Klipse turned to see a dozen pairs of purple glowing eyes in the windows. He growled, knowing he was heavily outnumbered. He reached down to grab a core, but realized it was missing. He looked back to the brown-haired teen, who was holding his cores with a smirk.

"This just got interesting!" Madea said, obviously entertained. Klipse kept glaring at the other.

"It's your call really. I'm sure we could manage without you and your clone," Ehna said shrugging, then turned to Madea, "You. Mercenary. Would you like to quit your work with Klipse and work for us? I'm sure we have something you'd be interested in."

Madea hummed, a smile on her lips. It was obvious she liked the attention, as she took her time answering, "Let me think... One thing I've always wanted was the ultimate monsuno battle. And with all the ones you have, and with Suno on his way, I'm sure that can be arranged-"

"Stop right there Madea!" Klipse exclaimed, then turned to the teen, "If it makes you happy, fine! I won't touch either of those two until Suno gets here!"

Ehna smirked, then nodded to the blindfolded one, who snapped his fingers again. The windows cleared, but the tension in the air hadn't lifted.

"Alright Klipse," Ehna said, tossing him his cores and walking back up the stairs, "Once Suno gets here and he's taken care of, do whatever you like with them. Triah, go put those two in one of the locked rooms. Pente, send the monsuno to guard outside and give Suno a welcoming party. Duo, come with me. We need to meet with the bookman to find the seal here."

Klipse could only stand there and watch as the cloaked members all split up into different directions to attend to their orders. He frowned deeply, and looked over to his own men. Six hadn't moved from his spot, hardly paying any attention to what occurred. Madea was cackling to herself with her own men following suit. The teen with them stayed just as quiet as Six, try to avoid looking in the direction that Suno's friends were in. The bookman obviously started trailing after the other two, scrolls hastily tucked under his arms. Klipse frowned deeply.

"Madea, go outside and stand guard! I'm sure Suno will be here in a few hours," he said, "And remember, the second you capture him, bring the others to me!"

She nodded, merrily going back outside. Out of everyone there, it was obvious that she was the one really enjoying herself. Klipse scoffed. In a matter of hours, he would be the one cackling like a mad man, and the world would be at his fingertips.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, monsuno power, and Glowblade998 for the reviews! To answer a bit, there's going to be a surprising amount of Strike Squad in the next few chapter after this one (and hopefully more updates).

Enjoy!

* * *

The room was rather warm, despite having hardly any light and cell doors blocking the exit. When the two had awoken, both Dax and Jinja were a bit surprised by how far they had come from Axistown. They were more surprised by the familiarity of the room they were in. They couldn't see the outside, but knew they were somewhere in Tebab.

"How long do you think they'll keep us waiting?" Jinja asked, pacing around the room. She had insisted that the opening mechanism for the cell door was on the walls, but had yet to find anything.

"Dunno. Maybe they just forgot," Dax joked. He already knew that wasn't likely. The only reason that they would keep us waiting is if they weren't the ones needed, which was probably the case. And it was obvious who they would be after

Dax cursed inwardly. He hated that they were caught off guard, but even more angry with how they got him and Jinja separated. Of all the lowly tactics, of course they would bring Spike into this. And that was the worst part. He had a duty to uphold as a member of S.T.O.R.M., and he let that get in the way. He excused himself for the first time, since it was really Grandma future's fault. And yet, he still let his urge to help the rest of S.T.O.R.M. get in the way of him helping his childhood friend. Instead of going after Spike during the commotion, he let himself get swept away in trying to get Grandma Future. Even she was finally caught, Dax let the problem fade away. And now it was coming back to bite him.

"I hope not," Jinja sighed, "The last thing we need is to be stuck in here with no one around to get us out."

"Don't worry about it princess. I'll figure out a way of getting us out," Dax said, sitting up from the long wooden bench. He wasn't sure how, but he knew he had to, if only to find Spike and try to make it right.

Just then the door opened ever so slightly. They both looked over, immediately on alert. Their cores had been taken, but that didn't mean they were helpless. Far from it.

As the door opened even more, Dax could see that it was a boy- probably around Sebastian's age - except he was wearing one of the black cloaks that was starting to become all too familiar. Jinja seemed to recognize him as well.

"You're the one who took that energy out of the jungle lab," she said immediately, "What are you all up to? And what do you want with Chase"

He gave her an annoyed look, wandering in and closing the door behind him. He situated himself as far away from the two as possible, keeping his gaze on them the whole time. Jinja clicked her tongue.

"Listen kid. Whatever plan you have isn't going to work. Even if we're here, Chase and the others will stop it."

Dax instantly rolled his eyes. She was obviously trying to bait the kid into talking, but she was going at it the wrong way (not to mention her angry act needed some work).

The boy, however, didn't react at all. In fact, it looked like he was ignoring her. Instead his gaze was fixated on Dax.

"..."

Jinja soon noticed as well, watching the two stare each other down.

"You got a problem there?" Dax asked. The boy blinked.

"He keeps talking about you."

The two teens exchanged looks.

"That other guy from the lowlands. He did nothing but talk about you ever since he came to the base in the lowlands," The boy said. Dax couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or not, but he did know one thing. He could use this to his advantage.

"Really? I couldn't imagine why," Dax shrugged. The boy frowned.

"He keeps calling you a traitor, "he said, folding his arms, "Yet... He seems fond of you. There something in the way he talks about you that just says it all, even after coming back from Axistown. But he keeps avoiding this room... Why?"

That caught Dax off guard. Even after everything that happened, was there a chance that Spike still thought of him as his brother?

Jinja noticed the distracted look that Dax had and decided to switch the subject.

"Are you fond of anyone," She asked. The boy started glaring at her. Dax didn't respond either, trying to work out the information he just received. Spike was here!

"Fine. It's none of my business anyway," the boy shrugged, "Not with Klipse planning on experimenting on him."

The two of them gasped. Klipse was here? And he was planning on experimenting on Spike?

"Like we're going to believe that," Jinja huffed, "How could we even trust you?"

The boy rolled his eyes. Dax knew not to trust what any of them said, but at the same time, he saw that hopeless look on his brother's face. He had seen it before, just as he had taken off for freedom over that wall years ago. What if Spike really didn't care anymore? What would happen then?...

That was a risk Dax wasn't willing to take. He would just have to figure out a way to get more information...

"How 'bout this squirt," he said, walking up to the bars and sitting down. He dug into his pockets and pulled out a deck of cards, "We play a simple game. We win, you tell us what we want to know about your little plan."

The boy's eyes were filled with curiosity that immediately turned to suspicion, "And if I win?"

Dax felt the corners of his lips twitch. Crag! What was he supposed to bet? They didn't have anything to offer. What would a kid like him want? What did Dax want when he was that age...

"If you win... Jinja will plant one on you."

The red-haired girl's cheeks flushed violently, as did the boy's.

"Now hold on there," Jinja protested, cracking her knuckles as she marched towards Dax, "I really doubt that a kid like him would want something like-"

"Tell me about Driftblade."

The two stopped, then turned towards the smaller. His eyes had gotten a rather tired look in them all of a sudden.

"I know it's a monsuno. But. I need- want to know more."

The two looked at each other. Jinja shrugged. Dax couldn't tell why a kid like him would want to know about a monsuno like that, seeing that it was still with Dr. Suno. Still, a deal was a deal. And if it meant a way of helping Spike, they would have to take it.

"Alright then mate," Dax said, "Sit down. Take some cards, and we'll get started. But first-"

Dax held out a hand through the bars, "It's common courtesy for introductions. The name's Dax."

The boy was hesitant, almost as if the idea of shaking hands disgusted him. The lowlander gave him the look of enticement, as if he had all the answers to Driftblade that the kid wanted (a bit of a poker face that he had perfected when trying to get his own information over the years). In the end, he took Dax's hand. The teen could feel something on the kid's palm, but knew not to linger for too long.

"... Exi. How do we play?"

HLP

"Please Jon. You have to send someone out there now!"

Jeredy and Jon Ace were currently walking down one of the halls, back to the main steering deck. It had been over an hour since the scientist realized his son was missing, along with the rest of Team Core Tech. That was enough to be suspicious, especially considering everything that had gone on in the past week.

"I already told you, we're stretched thin as is. We can't afford to send out troops to scour the globe for your son and his friends," Jon said. He had been extremely hard to get a hold of for some reason, and was more irritable then usual.

"But Jon. You don't know what those people from the Hand are capable of!" Jeredy said.

"Yes I do Jeredy. I'm the one who had to fill out reports from the past few days on what they've been doing!" Jon snapped. Jeredy raised a brow. He half wanted to say something about what his whole family had been through with the Hand of Destiny. But there was something in Jon's voice that was... Off.

"... Is there something wrong?" Jeredy asked as they stopped. He noticed that Jon was getting more and more irritable this past week, and normally, Jeredy just dismissed it as stress. But as of late, it seemed like it was something else.

The commandant shook his head, but didn't make eye contact. Before he could say something more, a soldier came up to them.

"Sir," they said with a salute, "I have a message from Commanda- I mean. Charlemagne."

The two of them exchanged looks. What would Charlemagne even want at this time?

"Tell her I don't have time," Jon said.

"She was rather persistent," The soldier said, then leaned forward, "She has information on Klipse's plan."

Jon's eyes narrowed, and silently debated. After a minutes he nodded.

"Alright," he said, and let the soldier lead the two down towards the holding cells. Jeredy couldn't help but wonder what the woman wanted, seeing that this was the first time she was actively trying to talk to them. Still, it could also be some sort of ploy, since it seemed a bit convenient that she knew what Klipse was up to.

By the time they reached the bottom. there were dozens of similar thoughts going through Jeredy's mind. Jon stopped right before they got to the hall door.

"Wait," he said, "This isn't where I told you to put her."

The soldier have a sheepish look, "She insisted on being moved somewhere more private, considering who was in the other cell across."

Jon gave a small 'ah', and asked nothing more. The soldier opened the door, ushering them in. Before he could walk in, the soldier stopped the doctor.

"Sorry," they said, "she only wanted to talk to Jon."

Jeredy raised a brow, but complied. If they were finally getting information, they would have to play by her rules. Jon nodded, and went inside.

Although, Jeredy had to admit that waiting wasn't one of his strong points. He stood in the hall, tapping his foot against the metal. His thoughts immediately went to Sophia.

He grimaced, hoping that whatever was going on with her would clear up. It had nothing to do with her health, so it must've been the monsuno sight. At that mention, his thoughts went to Chase.

He sighed. He was disheartened that his son would run off like he did, but also know that it was his fault.

"..."

After all, he couldn't expect Chase to act a certain way with both of his parents missing from his life.

"..."

He couldn't be angry with him.

"..."

He shouldn't be angry with him.

"..."

He-!

There was a sharp jolt between his ears, and Jeredy was suddenly left gasping in pain. He gripped his head, falling to his knees.

 _….._

 _The flames grew larger in the lab, smoke filling the air of the city. All of the scientists had left. But they still needed to pay._

 _There was a gasp, and a soldier fell into view. There was fear in his eyes, but that didn't matter. Everyone needed to pay._

 _"Stop right there!"_

 _From the shadows stepped out a woman with long blonde hair, dress billowing in the air._

 _"Ch-Charlemagne!" the soldier stuttered, "Wh-what are you doing here?! Get out before-"_

 _"Quite Trey!" she snapped. There was something in that woman's gaze that was frightening, as if she were unafraid of the beast in front of her._

 _A roar._

 _It shook the air, shattering the windows of nearby buildings. The blonde woman still stood tall, her dress catching a few of the cinders. She ignored it in favor of glaring as the soldier cringe on the ground._

 _Kill._

 _With a low growl, it pounced forward. She dove away, narrowly avoiding getting her head loped off. She landed near the soldier._

 _"Trey, give me your blade!" she ordered. The soldier was still on the ground, staring foward as the yellow beast let out a roar._

 _"Trey! Now!"_

 _He snapped out of his daze, grabbing something from his belt and throwing it towards her. She caught the small baton with ease, pushing a button as a blade flourished from it._

 _Another roar._

 _A yellow blast._

"Jeredy!"

 _"You beasts are to blame!"_

"Can you hear me?"

 _"You're the reason!" the woman shouted, charging forward, "You're the reason those five came here and-"_

"Jeredy!"

His eyes snapped open. The lights overhead were disorientating, blurring his view.

"... Doctor? Are you alright?"

He flinched, feeling his chest heaving up and down as a cold sweat tickled down his forehead. He looked over to see Jon staring down with a concerned look.

"Are you okay? What did you see?" he asked. Jeredy took a steady breath.

"... Nothing. Nothing at all."

Jon wasn't buying it. He shook his head.

"I leave for fifteen minutes and come back to you on the ground seizing up. I wouldn't call that nothing."

Jeredy took another breath, letting himself be pulled up into a sitting position.

"C'mon doctor. If it's important information that we can use, you might as well say something."

Jeredy looked away, staring at the door that led to the prison cells.

"Jon," he said, "Do you... Remember how Driftblade was created? Were you ever on that team?"

Jon gave him a look, and shook his head, "Driftblade was one of the more unstable cases. No one was allowed to work on it unless they were from the eastern province, remember?"

He honestly didn't, if only because he was caught up on his own research with Locke.

"All of the files concerning Charlemagne were sealed, " Jon continued. Jeredy let out a gasp.

"You mean she had to do with it?" he said, getting to his feet. Jon raised a brow, also standing.

"That was her monsuno during her reign," he said, "Jeredy... Are you feeling okay?"

The doctor ran a hand through his hair. that's right. They already had this discussion when Jon came back from the proson. So why couldn't he let it go? Why did he keep getting these flashes… Given this was one of the more violent ones he received, that couldn't have been a good sign.

"Well. Anyway," Jon said, "She told me about what Klipse is planning, and a little bit about the Hand of Destiny."

Jeredy gave a puzzled look, "How did she find out about that?"

"Don't know. But I'll assume it was from the break out and that she's been keeping it from us."

The scientist put a thumb under his chin in thought. That somewhat made sense. But why would she reveal it now? Unless-

"What did she want?"

"That's what I asked," Jon said, "At first I thought she would want her monsuno back, but that wasn't it. Oddly enough, she wanted to help recapture Klipse."

"That... Is odd," Jeredy said, "Why would-"

"Commandant Marshall Jon!" a soldier ran up to the two with a salute.

"I have word from Strike Squad Leader Alpha," they said, "he found the whereabouts of Klipse and the Hand of Destiny. He says he'll be pursuing them and sent coordinates to his location. We can assume they're heading for the mountains of Tebab at his point."

"I see. Thank you very much" Jon said.

"Hold on!" Jeredy said before the soldier could head out, "Was my son with them? Or his friends?"

"Alpha didn't say," the soldier responded, then saluted one last time. The two were left standing in the hall.

"I don't remember ordering the Strike Squad out," Jon said, then shook his head, "Oh well. Time to organize the troops. It looks like we finally have them cornered."

The commandant walked back down the hall and away from the cell. Jeredy stood there for a second more, looking towards the cells that held the old leader of S.T.O.R.M.. She was planning something, but only time would tell what that was.

But as long as his family was alright, Jeredy knew that they would need to risk it.

HLP

"So this is it huh?"

The three of them stood in front of a pair of large wooden doors, decorated with designs that stretched beyond the outside and onto the walls. All the previous halls and doorways were not nearly as ornate. This was the one.

"I guess we ought to go inside now," Ehna said, "Considering the amount of monsuno energy that lies just beyond the door-"

"Allow me!" the bookman said, already reaching forwards for the handle. As soon as he came close, there was a hum of energy throughout the air. The markings started to glow, and the Bookman let out a yelp. He jumped back, holding his hand.

"Looks like the old man put up some wards," Dup said amused.

"And you didn't think to warn me? I could've fried my hand off!" the bookman exclaimed, inspecting his hand for burns.

"It only hurts those who have ill intentions for this place," Duo explained, "It wasn't here before. It makes me wonder about the things the temple has gone through. Or rather, the other monks, considering the empty halls.."

After finding his hand okay, the bookman quickly looked up to see the two staring. His gaze went between the two, seeing the knowing look that they each had.

"Well. I wouldn't know! I'm just a lowly librarian who watches over books and scrolls," he said, trying to sound meek again.

"So I've heard," Ehna said, folding his arms and turning to the tall woman,, "Anyway. The seal is just beyond. How do we get in?"

Duo walked up, the bookman flinching at the action as she came up to inspect the door.

"I believe this door won't open for us," she said, "This looks new. One of the current monks can probably open it. You mentioned a woman was here right?"

At the mention, the Bookman gave a toothy grin. He was surprised that one monk had slipped away from his grasp. As soon as he could, he couldn't wait to get his hands on her. Ehna gave an exhausted sigh.

"In her current state, I don't think she'll be very helpful," he said, "Are there any other methods we can try?"

The woman hummed in thought," I doubt it. This was made after my time. Only the one who made it would know."

"I know of two who can be of help!" the bookman pipped in, "There's always Sophia Suno. Or even the monk boy who is with Chase Suno."

The two looked to each other. The teen had an annoyed look, while the woman seemed more passive. For some reason, the bookman found himself resenting that look.

"Sophia won't be of help. Not while she's with S.T.O.R.M.," Ehna said, "Besides, her worth has long been lost. Retrieving her wouldn't be worth the trouble."

The bookman sneered, "Then I guess we'll have to get our hands on the monk. I'm sure he's on his way here as we speak."

Ehna put a thumb under his chin in thought. The woman continued to stare at the bookman. He shivered. There was something about her eyes that was rather. Disturbing. Almost as if they were looking right through him.

"... That'll do for now," Ehna said, "I'll just have to get someone to keep Suno busy until we get this open."

"Send one of Klipse's goons. I'm sure any of them will jump at the chance of revenge," the bookman said. He was really talking about the black haired woman who showed up earlier, seeing how eager she was.

"I think I have someone else in mind," the brown haired teen said, "But I'm sure others would like their chances as well. Now if you'll excuse us."

"Oh? Yes of course!" the bookman stammered for a moment. He started to head for the exit stairwell that they came from, but quickly ducked behind a pillar. He knew he was a safe distance away from them, but with the way the halls were built, he could hear every word that they would say.

"... What was that back there?" Ehna asked.

"What? That little worm of a man? I think his worth is gone at this point. We really ought to dispose of that one," Duo said. The bookman felt anger rush to his ears.

"No not him, but I do agree," Ehna said," No. I'm talking about Axistown. I told you to bring me Suno, and yet you apparently came back empty handed."

There wasn't a response.

"Look. Even though it didn't matter in the end, I expect results," the teen said, "If I tell you to go get Suno. You get him here any means necessary. And I mean it this time."

Nothing was said again, and the bookman peeked out to see the two staring each other down. Finally, the woman let out a sigh.

"I can't help it if one of them knows my customs," she said, toying with a bit of her hair, "Even after all this time, I can't just turn my back on those annoying rules."

"To hell with those rules!" the teen shouted, "I brought you back by the skin of your teeth. So you better start listening before I send you back!"

She let out a sigh, looking away, "It's not like I wanted to come back. Unlike, that little sadist with the crystal eye."

The bookman could see the teen practically fuming at the defiance. His posture suddenly changed, and let out a chuckle.

"Oh alright then," he said, "I suppose you can be sent back. Although. I'm not sure what that'll mean for Triah, especially since Klipse has been looking for some test subjects. I'm sure he'll be happy to get his hands on that one-"

The woman hoisted the teen up with one hand.

"Don't you think about it!" she hissed, bringing him close, "I'll sooner take you back to hell with me before you can even-"

She suddenly let out a gasp, and let go. Ehna let out another laugh.

"Did you already forget?" he smirked, "I still have control of you. As long as that hunk of metal is stuck to that crystal on your chest, you'll just have to deal with my orders. Including staying alive."

She glared at him, hunched over in pain.

"I guess I'll just have to bump up my control of you. Maybe then you'll listen. Including against those customs of yours," Ehna said smugly. She stared hatefully at him, unable to respond. He walked away.

"Now let's go. I think it's about time we start phase two."

The bookman ducked away, listening to the two's footsteps echo away back up the main staircase, the woman a bit slower.

Obviously, those people were more than a little dangerous. And apparently he himself had lost some worth in their eyes. He would have to tread carefully if he wanted to make it out of there.

Their footsteps had faded, and he stepped out. With one last glance at the door, he started to go after.

… There was one thing that this trip revealed, if not the location of the seal. He had a way of exterminating them.

* * *

A/N:

Review Review Review!


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, monsuno lover, and monsuno power for the reviews. This chapter is a bit shorter, if only because we are nearing the final battle and everything starts after this, which has cause a lot of writing for the last chapters (and admittedly will be posted next week as soon as possible since summer commitments are over).

Enjoy!

* * *

The cloud hoppers were ready to go. The troops were ready to go. The location that the Strike Squad had been located. Everything was in place.

"Make sure to have as many monsuno on hand," Trey ordered, "I don't want to see any casualties."

The soldiers nearest to him gave a small nod of acknowledgement. He wasn't sure what to expect on this mission, considering how many of their enemies were now working together. He just hoped everything would go according to plan, especially with Chase's group running off on their own. He wondered about them sometimes...

"Uncle!"

Trey gave a sigh, then turned to see his nephew standing by the stairwell that led back down into the ship. Somehow the little guy got out of the office. He wasn't causing trouble though, so he must've wanted something.

"What is it Sebastian. Don't tell me you're mom isn't going to pick you up," Trey sighed. He really didn't want to stay behind for this mission, considering what was at stake. Sebastian frowned, a surprisingly serious look on his face.

"N-no. Actually," he stammered, "Actually... Never mind."

Trey raised a brow. Was he... Actually worried? The whole week had been rather chaotic when he showed up, not to mention the last time he was here.

"Look kiddo," Trey said, kneeling down next to him and putting a hand on his shoulder, "Your uncle's going to be just fine. We're just going out to get the bad guys for a little while."

Sebastian gave him a weird look, "What? No. That had nothing to do with it."

The brown haired boy pointed off to the side, "I was just wondering why she was staring at you."

Trey followed Sebastian's sight. He almost choked.

Starring a short distance away was his old boss, Charlemagne, being hurried into one of the cloud hoppers. One that was heading out to the mountains on the mission.

"Was she your girlfriend? Did you make her mad? She sure looks mad at you."

Trey could barely process all of Sebastian's questions as he locked eyes with her. He felt the need to look away, seeing a fiery hate within that he definitely knew was directed to him. He heard large footsteps come up next to him. Numbly, he turned to see Jon.

"Is she...?" he said faintly, pointing slightly. Jon nodded.

"Hey uncle. It looks like you and your girlfriend get to go on the mission together!" Sebastian said. Trey felt like he was going to faint.

"You alright there Commander?" Jeredy said, walking up to join them. He had a large case on his back, which was most likely filled with equipment, "Maybe you ought to sit this one out."

"N-No! I'm fine!" Trey said, shaking his head. He honestly didn't know what to feel. The last time he interacted with Charlemagne was when he arrested her. Not exactly the best way to say 'bye.' Still, what was she doing there?

"It was an agreement we had," Jon said. Trey realized that he had spoken aloud just then, "She had given us all the information we need about Eklipse and the Hand of Destiny. In return, she wanted to come along."

"You're not afraid of her trying something?" Trey asked, now avoiding looking in the direction of the cloud hoppers.

"What could she do? Jeredy will be riding separate with Driftblade. And I'll be following along in another. If she tried something, the soldiers know what they need to do."

Trey nodded. He wasn't sure how to feel, but knew that, despite this new development, they would have to continue.

"Commandant!" A soldier said, charging up the stairs past them. They held a small paper in their hand.

"I have a message from a Mr. and Mrs. Le Roux. A couple of them actually," they said, "They're wondering where their daughter is at?"

Trey raised a brow. Why did that name sound familiar.

"Tell them I'll take care of it later," Jon said. The soldier nodded, and walked away. Jeredy was giving him a look, "... They've been pestering me for the past few days. I'll take care of it after we get back."

The three of them stood there, watching for a brief moment as the soldiers continued to work along the deck. Trey couldn't help but wonder would be in store for them. He felt Blackbullet's core on his belt, feeling the cold metal fastenings. He never understood the bonds that those kids had with their monsuno, but perhaps it was better left that way.

After all, he had seen what some relationships to monsuno caused. Charlemagne was a prime example of that.

"By the way Commander," Jon said, "I'm going to ask you to keep an eye on Charlemagne while we're down there. I have a feeling that she's gonna take any chance of escaping during the chaos. And despite her good intentions, she probably won't hesitate to take this opportunity."

Trey grimaced, but knew not to complain. He nodded.

"Yes sir."

Jon nodded, and walked off with Jeredy. Trey winced, already eyeing the cloud hopper that Charlemagne went in. This would be a long ride.

"Hey uncle. I bet she really likes you," Sebastian said slyly. Trey felt his cheeks go red, and grabbed the boy in a headlock.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the office about now? Your mom should be here soon," he said, ruffling through Sebastian's hair. The boy let out a squeal, and ran off as soon as Trey released him. For some reason, even that small skirmish left Trey felling pleasant rather than angry. Maybe it was just because the boy was getting more well behaved.

Or maybe it was because of Chase's influence.

Shaking his head, Trey walked over to the cloud hopper, mentally preparing himself for the silence between him and his old boss.

HLP

The snowy mountain tops were always a place of solitude, and could be a place of tranquility. At least before the battle of monsuno began. As the small cloud hopper made its way through the wind and ice, Beyal couldn't help but reflect on how much trouble had been caused by monsuno. He would always cherish the bond he had with his monsuno, but a lot had been lost because of the want for power. He was only reminded when he saw that deserter woman, Duo.

After explaining to Mrs Suno about how they encountered the woman, she also seemed disturbed by the woman's appearance, more-so then he was. She had briefly explained who that woman probably was, and what that could potentially mean for the rest of them.

That power that had been used before. The ability to bring back the dead. Droog had managed it with three of the Hand of Destiny, so it wasn't too outrageous to believe the rest of them could have access to that. Either way, just knowing that, the Hand would have to be stopped.

"Hey Beyal."

He looked up to see Bren, who was sitting across. Chase wanted to sit in the front, but Alpha was also insistent on being there. And now that they were in the mountains, the rest of the Strike Squad were in the back getting ready, leaving the last two sitting there waiting.

"Um... You feeling alright? No other visions or anything right?"

Beyal blinked, then gave a soft smile, "Nothing like that. And I'm feeling much better."

That much was true. Physically, he had a hard time moving (which was probably a side effect, and from the look of Chase he was suffering from the same thing). But on the other hand, ever since coming back it felt as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders. It was probably because of the fake Mrs. Suno's influence. When he got back to the real world, he was a bit disorientated, especially since he found himself being carried by the tall blond Strike Squad member.

Bren nodded at his response. It was silent after that. Beyal felt the need to comment on Chase also being alright, but he honestly didn't know. He knew that Chase's spirit was able to make if back, but did that meant he would be able to use monsuno now? It didn't feel right to ask, considering the serious look he had as he stared forward through the fog.

"Alright squad," Alpha said, walking towards the back, "We're going to be landing a ten. We'll have to walk some distance to keep cover, but the weather outside isn't too bad and be to our advantage. We journey with the intent of search and rescue."

The rest of them nodded. Alpha turned to go back to the front, catching eyes with the other two. He didn't respond, and quickly retreated to the front. Beyal went back to looking outside.

"I really hope Jinja and Dax are okay," Bren said, "I mean. I'm sure they're fine, but I hate being uncertain. It makes me nervous. Especially if Klipse really hired a bunch of people. Who know's how many are there, wherever we're going-"

There was a flash of white. Even in the snow, it was clearly visibly. It seemed brighter when compared to the rest of the white all around. No. Not white. Silver.

"-and then there's the monsuno man. And the shapeshifter, and whoever else might be there-"

Bren's voice faded in the distance. Bright lights appeared through the clouds. Beyal gasped, realizing they were eyes, with a large pair of white wings close by. He remembered that...

"... Beyal? Hey! Beyal"

The monk blinked, realizing he had zoned out.

"Yes?"

Bren shifted in his seat, holding the core tablet.

"Uh. Looks like we're heading for the Tiger's Lair," he said, "We might not be! But. Just in case. Well. The Hand of Destiny and Klipse might already be there."

Beyals' eyes widened, and he looked away. No wonder the mountains were getting familiar. Sure he had been up to the library a few weeks back, but that was different. he hadn't been to the temple since...

He shook his head.

"It'll be alright," he said, "This just means he have an advantage."

Bren nodded, and for the rest of they way, they were quiet. Truthfully, Beyal wasn't sure how much that advantage would be if that woman came from the temple years before. But either way, they needed to succeed. Jinja and Dax needed them.

As he glanced out the window, nostalgia starting to flash in his vision, he never saw the wings again.

HLP

"Yes! I got it!" Exi exclaimed, looking down at the pile of cards. He and Dax had been playing for the past few minutes, the older slowly teaching how to play. Jinja was a bit curious as to why he wanted to know things about Driftblade, and was even more surprised at how easy Dax coaxed him into playing. Given most of the time was spent trying to teach him how to read the numbers (maybe the Hand never read much in that dark cave), Dax was making some progress with getting him to drop his guard.

"Alright then mate. We play for keepsies this time," Dax said, quickly shuffling the cards. Jinja watched closely, seeing him slip a few into his sleeves and out again. Only if you were looking from a certain angle could you tell what Dax was really doing. The boy didn't notice.

Dax dished out the cards, picking up one and discarding another. The boy followed suit. The two continued until Dax let out a laugh.

"I'm afraid I got you beat," he said, then laid his cards down. All aces. The boy blinked, looking up and down at his own cards, and then Dax's.

"I suppose you'll just have to tell us what you're planning now," Dax said, leaning back with a smug look. The boy grumbled, putting his cards down and folding his arms together. Dax raised a brow, as if to challenge the other a bit, "… How 'bout this. I'll go ahead a give you a little info about Driftblade for free. No charge."

"... Fine," the boy mumbled, "Not that it'll do you any good stuck in here. Especially since it has to do with Suno."

Dax grabbed his cards, "Alrighty then mate. Lay it out for us. What are you and the rest of your pals up to?"

Exi frowned , then exhaled, "Basically it's the same plan as the one we had before. At least that's how it's told to me."

Jinja and Dax exchanged looks.

"There's a seal here in the temple. Ehna says it was the one we never got to. We're gonna go down and use what energy we can in there to unleash something called the 'shadow effect'."

Jinja and Dax gasped. The two of them knew all too well what that was, and what it could mean for any monsuno nearby. Was that the reason that the Hand of Destiny needed Klipse?

"So why do you need Chase?" Dax asked, "in fact, why do you need any of us?

"It's an obvious answer isn't it? Revenge. That's all," Exi said, "With this 'shadow effect'" he made the motion of quotes with his fingers," Pente's going to take the monsuno over and everyone will be left vulnerable. And since no one would have monsuno, well, you can figure it out from there."

"But the shadow effect isn't that large. When it was set off before, it could only go as far as the S.T.O.R.M. base," Jinja said, "If they're out of range or in their cores, the monsuno won't feel anything."

"That won't work," Exi interrupted, "The energy of the seal is massive. So much so that, when release, it could envelop half the continent with it's energy in mere hours."

"Besides," the boy continued, "Klipse is planning on detonating some bomb thing that will amplify the signal. Or destroy everything within a hundred mile radius. I forget which."

"A bomb? You mean a wild core bomb?" Jinja said. How Klipse got a hold of Forge technology was beyond them, but spelt out trouble regardless. The boy shrugged.

"Dunno. And I don't think anyone else knows either. I just overheard when we were in the lowlands."

Dax perked up at the mention of the lowlands.

"That reminds me," he said, "Where's the one who was talking about me? You said he's with Klipse right?" The boy shook his head.

"We made a deal. I only tell you about our plan and that's it. As far as Klipse is concerned, he's doing his own thing. Probably skulking around in the underground tunnels," he said. Dax gave an annoyed look, but didn't say anything. He probably should've worded his deal better.

But that wouldn't matter if they escaped, especially since he had an idea of where Klipse was right now.

"What's about the other two? The monsuno man and tall woman? What are they for?" Jinja asked. She wasn't really curious, but knew that any information would be helpful, especially since she only caught a glimpse of the woman when she woke up. The boy blinked, then crossed his arms in thought as he stared at the ground.

"I... Don't know," he said, "And they're not going to tell me."

Jinja frowned, "Okay... Well. What are you supposed to do?"

"That's easy I'm-"

The door was thrown open and they all jumped.

Dax got to his feet as the grey-haired man with the blindfold appeared from the doorway.

"Where is... ah. There you are," he said, turning towards the boy. Exi slowly got to his feet, "It's time to get things rolling! And I think that means it's time we take care of these two!"

He turned towards Dax and Jinja. Despite him not seeing, the motion made a shiver go down Jinja's spine. He let out a laugh, reaching for the blindfold..

"Well. Not really him, but the one with the monsuno sight."

Dax raised a brow, then took a step forward, "Sorry there. But that's not gonna happen. Not without a fight-"

Jinja let out a pained gasp, gripping her head. She instantly recognized the feeling, falling to her knees as it quickly became too much to bear.

"Jinja!" she heard Dax exclaim. Slowly, she looked up to see the light coming from the man's eye again. He let out a laugh.

"I bet it's a lot more painful now! Especially since I only have to focus on you!" he said, "Hey, runt. Go grab the girl."

Jinja cringed, fulling collapsing to the ground.

"Oi! Kid!" Dax exclaimed, grabbing the bars, "If you wanna know about Driftblade, don't come near!"

There was a small gasp, and Jinja could see the boy hesitating for a moment. Her vision started to blur.

"... What? Are you really going to listen to what they say?" Pente asked. The light faded, and Jinja could feel instant relief. Dax was at her side in an instant. She took a few steadying breaths, letting exhaustion go through her body. She heard a shuffle, then looked up to see the boy being slammed against the wall.

"Look here. When given an order you follow it!" the grey haired man said, that rather strange smirk still on his lips as he slipped the cloth back over his eyes.

"G-Get off!" Exi said, holding a palm out. There was a brief green glow, but then he flinched and it faded away. Jinja gasped when she saw the way his eyes flashed in pain.. That color...

Pente let out a laugh.

"What's wrong? Out of juice already?," he snickered, "Besides, they're just human. And if you're willing to side with them, that makes you just as worthless!"

The boy said nothing, merely staring back with what looked like defiance. The man gave a snort, then let go.

"Fine. Enjoy your little playthings for now," he said, walking to the door, then looked back towards Jinja, "Just know that when I come back, we'll be having all sorts of fun _my_ way!"

She shivered at the way he said that. He gave another laugh, and walked out the doorway. The boy looked to the ground, then followed along. Dax almost said something, but fell silent as the door slammed. They both sighed.

"I almost feel bad for the little bugger," Dax said, scratching the back of his neck, "Well... At least we got some info from him. As soon as we get outta here, we need to find out where this bomb is."

Jinja continued to stare at the spot that the two had been playing cards, trying to catch her breath. She had noticed something about the boy before, but was a bit more certain after watching that fight.

"There's something off about him," Jinja said. Dax noticed where she was looking, and gave a sigh.

"So he's still a kid. I feel bad but he's still one of the Hand of Destiny," he shrugged. Jinja shook her head.

"No. It's something else," Jinja said, and looked towards the door, "What's the one things that they all have in common?"

Dax scratched his cheek, "Besides the freaky monsuno powers? Dunno."

"Their eyes," Jinja sighed, sitting back, "they all have green eyes. Probably from all the monsuno essence they were around."

"And your point is...?"

Jinja let out another sigh, this one more out of exhaustion. She sat down on the bench, trying to root herself. The wind started to pick up again outside howling through the hallway just beyond the door.

"That boy," she said," His eyes... Maybe it was just the play of the light. But I swear for a moment, they were yellow."

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A/N: Review Review Review!


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Thanks to TacticianLyra, ChasexJinjaForever, Glowblades998, and monsunolover for the reviews.

Enjoy!

* * *

The group had arrived precisely ten minutes after Alpha had alerted them all. The wind had now blown the storm directly over them, which would hide their presence just fine. While they wouldn't be using their monsuno unless necessary, it was still good to know that they could still be hidden if that potentially happens.

The walk to the temple had also been relevantly fast. For Bravo, it was the easiest considering how tall he was. He only needed to take a few strides before getting ahead of anyone, but for this case they had to stay in a single file line. When the red walls were finally in view, he was the first one to spot them. Alpha nodded in acknowledgment, trying to keep their volume down.

They crouched low, crawling over until they had a clear view without being given away. Alpha took out a pair of binoculars. Bravo let out a shiver. He wasn't used to this type of weather, even though their suits provided plenty of insulation. The wind picked up and he let out another shiver.

"Not at all like the beaches down south, eh Bravo?" Tango joked, getting the other two Strike Squad members laughing. He grumbled under his breath.

"What's over there?" Chase asked as he crawled next to Alpha. The red-haired teen passed the binoculars over. He had a rather serious look on his face.

"Monsuno and Darkspin. Looks like they're really pulling out the big guns for this one."

Chase continued to look all around, eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"I... See Darkspin. But I don't see the monsuno out."

"Look at the ground Suno," Alpha sighed, "There are dozens of tracks that lead all over. And they're pretty fresh considering the amount of snow here!"

Chase continued to look around as Alpha crawled back to the group. They made a small huddle as he adjusted his belt for a second. He stopped when his hands brushed against his broken blade. Bravo had heard what happened from Kilo on the way back to the cloud hopper, and was shocked at how easily his leader had been defeated. But despite that, they all knew to put something like that aside to focus on the now.

Chase took a deep breath, then turned to the rest of them, "Alright, here's what we'll do-"

"Not so fast Suno," Alpha said, holding up a hand, "This is my crew. If anything, you and your friends are going to follow my orders."

"Of course we have to," Bren grumbled. Alpha shot him a look, but continued.

"Alright. The main mission is to stop the Hand of Destiny and apprehend E. Klipse. I've split the teams accordingly," Alpha said, "The ones in charge of the later part will be Kilo and Beyal. Since Beyal knows the layout the best, I'm sure he can lead to wherever they most likely will be scheming."

Beyal gave him a nod, as did Kilo.

"Bravo. Tango. You'll need to draw the attention of Darkspin and the rest of the monsuno. I have a feeling that their main defense will be out there. Because you two are the most adept in hand to hand combat, you're the most qualified to battle against any of those Hand of Destiny creeps."

Bravo gave him a small thumbs up, though Tango seemed a bit apprehensive. She seemed to be like that ever since they landed, but it was probably just nerves after what happened in Axistown.

"X-Ray. You and Chase will go and try to get the monsuno energy that was stolen from S.T.O.R.M. I have a feeling that they're planning on using it for some sort of weapon. Or they may be guarding it, in which case you are free to engage in battle."

"And that leave me and you," Bren grumbled even more.

"Yeah. And we're going after your friends," Alpha said, "Since you'll have the core tablet, you can map out the easiest path to the underground without getting spotted. That, and we'll be the most capable of going to anyone else's help if necessary with your other two friends with us."

"If you're just going to be meeting up again, don't you think it makes more sense to split up into two groups then?" Chase asked, "This seems unnecessarily drawn out. Let's just charge in now and flush 'em out!"

The whole Strike Squad sighed.

"Too many people means it's easier for them to find us," Tango said, "And since this is mostly a stealth mission, we need the element of surprise."

Chase frowned at them, "But we could easily take them once we're inside."

The Strike Squad gave him an annoyed look. Alpha let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Do you know how many people are working for the Hand right now?" Bravo asked, "Or how many monsuno they have?"

"Or the escape paths that they can take? Or who's in charge?" X-Ray added, "Face it Suno. We can go in there guns blazing, but that'll only get us so far."

"Not to mention the fact that they could use your friends as hostages. Or even anyone else they might've snatched up," Kilo said, giving a cautionary glance.

Chase cast his eyes down. They were all taught to plan out the situations before advancing, which helped in these situations. From the look of it, Chase was starting to realize that.

"... Alright," Chase sighed in defeat. Bren gave him a surprised look, but didn't acknowledge it. Alpha nodded, and stood up.

"Okay. Don't use the communicators unless you are absolutely sure no one else is around," he warned to the others, "If at any moment you think things get out of hand, contact everyone else so we can abort the mission and regroup. We meet up back in this spot in that case. I've already sent our location back to Commander Trey, so reinforcements should be here in an hour or so."

They all nodded, and hurried down towards the main pathway. Bravo looked to Tango, who nodded back. Their job would be the hardest, especially with the amount of monsuno that were around. Their best bet would be to take out Darkspin before they could even spin out.

"One more thing," Alpha said, clearing his throat, "Even with our monsuno, I don't think that it'll be enough."

Alpha's gaze fell to the broken blade he held in his hand. He shook his head.

"No matter what happens. Do what is necessary to survive. We have the advantage of stealth, so use it if you need to. You all know what to do."

The Strike Squad gave each other looks. The last few times they had engaged with the Hand of Destiny hadn't been the best. In fact, almost ever time had ended with them having to flee. That would have to change tonight.

The groups parted ways. Well, they parted ways from Bravo and Tango, who stayed behind near the entrance so as to draw the attention towards them. The two could see that it would take a while for the others to get to the back of the temple, so they quickly situated themselves in a good position to see the signal from Alpha. They were also sure to keep out of range of the entrance, seeing Darkspin looking over the wall with the leader standing at the entrance with a smirk. As soon as the others were inside, they would have to make their move and be the main distraction, as well as try and take out the main forces.

Unfortunately, by the time a half hour had gone by, the storm had picked up and was now tossing snow and ice all around. The main building of the temple became obscured, and within seconds, only the outline was visible.

Bravo sneezed.

"You okay?" Tango whispered. He sneezed again.

"Probably just a cold," he said, wiping his nose. Hopefully that wouldn't end up being a problem for this mission, "Anyway. Once we get the signal, it'll be an all out battle. You see anything yet?"

Tango pulled out her own binoculars, trying to look around. Bravo let out another shudder as the wind started up.

"I… Think I saw something on the ridge near the back," she said, "I can't be sure. But I'm sure we've given them plenty of time. I think in this case, it's better to be early then late."

Bravo nodded, and reached onto his belt for his studded gloves. He actually preferred hand to hand combat (and often challenged many of the soldiers back at the cloud carrier), yet he wasn't very fond of weapons like the others. Despite that, he was still confident that he and Deadfall would hold their own against those Darkspin thugs.

Tango reached for her belt, but stopped. She had a faraway look in her eyes, her hand falling away.

"Um... Tango?" Bravo whispered. She had been a bit spacey lately, but that was typical. Especially since she had been spending a lot of time with Mrs. Suno. Something to do monsuno sight.

She blinked, focus coming back in her eyes.

"... Did you say something?" she asked. Bravo raised a brow. Before he could respond, something flashed in the corner of his eye. He grabbed her and dove down into the snowbank. A blast of energy flew overhead and threw snow into the air. They both looked back to see green flames rising. A fit of laughter rang throughout.

"Oh ho ho ho! I didn't think that there would be more company for this party!" a woman said before letting out a cackle. The two looked to the entrance to see the entrance doors open, a woman with black hair standing there as monsuno could be seen in the courtyard. She held up a red core.

"I hope you all can satisfy me and Poisonwing until our little Suno gets here!" she said with a smirk. Bravo grit his teeth, grabbing a core. Looks like they'd have to go without a signal-

"Look out!"

He was yanked down again as another blast nearly hit him full on. As he fell to the ground near Tango, he looked over towards the source to see a figure standing on the wall. He instantly recognized it as the man from the ruins a few days back.

The man jumped off the wall, now looking at the two teens. Bravo glanced around, seeing at least four purple monsuno come out of the temple courtyard, along with Darkspin who still held their cores. There was still a chance they could hold them off.

"... Hey Tango," he said, bringing his fists up with Deadfall's core, "How about we make this a bit fun."

She glared daggers at him, but then let out a small chuckle, "Let me guess. How many we can take out before having to spin out right?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of how many enemies we can take on together," he said, then turned back, ready to sprint forward, "but I suppose that works too."

HLP

Bren really didn't like the Strike Squad, as he was quickly finding out the more he interacted with them. Scratch that, they were good in small doses, but with the amount of time that they were with them for the past few days, it was starting to get old.

"Hey! Hurry up or I'll leave you behind!" Alpha shouted as Bren slumped against a wall to catch his breath.

"Yeah. Sure you will," he snapped. Alpha let out a sigh, trailing back towards him. Bren knew that the other wouldn't leave him behind (especially since he had the core tablet), but there was something weird about how noble he tried to act.

But then again, he did have a thing for knighthood that everyone knew about.

"Ready yet?" Alpha asked impatiently. Bren nodded, and they took off again down the hall. He actually enjoyed coming up to the temple. Granted every time they came it was either under bad circumstances or ended badly, but otherwise it wasn't completely unpleasant. Still, once they reached the underground cells, a chill had gone up his spine. The dark corridors and empty feeling was enough to make him nervous, especially with the idea that Jinja and Dax were somewhere in there.

"Careful. They could be hiding anywhere," Alpha said, creeping along. Bren couldn't help but roll his eyes. Even though the Strike Squad was treating the mission seriously, it didn't mean they had to be all the time. According to the Core Tablet there were only a few signs of life down here, two of which were them. And it was obvious the other two were Jinja and Dax.

"Calm down. I can pick up any traces of life down here, and I can say there's nothing but us and probably a few rats," Bren said, quickly tapping away. Alpha glared a bit at him.

"See. That's where you're wrong," he said, "I'm sure everything went according to plan with your little group, but I was taught to always be prepared for the worst."

Bren shuddered. He didn't like thinking about the worst case scenario, especially after seeing what Klipse was planning on doing to Dax the last time they were left alone. He shook his head, trying not to think of that.

He looked down to the tablet and saw they were coming up to the cell with the other two.

"Hey Alph-"

Alpha brought his hand up, putting a finger to his lip. The teen crept to the door, grabbing his blade holder. Bren raised a brow. Was he really going to just go a hit someone with that? Seemed a bit barbaric. Then again, Jinja had down worse when they were all still in school. And it wasn't like there was someone else in there.

Alpha slowly opened the door, peeking through the small crack. Bren could hear someone's voice talking, and recognized it as Dax. Alpha stayed still, not moving for a minute.

"What are you waiting for?" Bren whispered. The other didn't respond, a trickle of sweat going down his brow. Bren looked down at the tablet, and could see two people in the room. He rolled his eyes, and threw the door open.

"Jinja! Dax! Are you two okay-"

He stopped. Dax was sitting there talking to someone, who was also sitting close by, the bars of the cell between them. When they turned, Bren recognized him as the kid who stole the energy earlier that week (and was the one that fought him and Beyal in the ruins a while ago now that he remembered).

Alpha sprung into action instantly.

Without hesitating, he ran in and tackled the boy to the ground. They grappled for a few seconds before Alpha managed to get him in a headlock. Bren ignored them and ran to the cell door. He jerked the bars, but they were rooted pretty solid.

"Glasses? How'd you get here?" Dax asked, standing up. Bren started looking around the wall for a loose rock, remembering how Beyal opened their cell the first time at the library. One slid into place with a click, and the door shifted somewhat. Dax opened it with relative ease.

"Oh you know. Just wanting to come up for the scenery," Bren sighed. Dax clapped his shoulder. It was then that Bren could see that he was a bit roughed up, with a few bruises here and there, especially the mean looking one under his left eye. Before he could ask, Alpha made a noise.

"Start talking," he said to the boy, "Where's Jinja at? What're you planning?"

The boy raised a brow, "You do realize I can toss you through the wall like nothing right?"

Alpha took a breath, and immediately tried to steel his gaze.

"Calm down there slick," Dax said to Alpha, "it was creep with the grey hair that came and took Jinja. Not to long ago actually."

Alpha leered a bit, then pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

"I'm apprehending you in the name of the Strategic and Tactical Operatives for Recovery of Monsuno," he recited. The boy gave him an annoyed look, but hardly resisted (which was a bit odd). Bren shook his head, then turned to Dax.

"So where'd they take her?"

"No idea," Dax said, "and that grey haired guy doesn't seem familiar either. Looks like the Hand of Destiny has a few new recruits."

"He's not new. He's like 40 something years old," Exi said.

"Silence inmate!" Alpha snapped. Bren rolled his eyes. He was really trying to push the official S.T.O.R.M. thing. And from the look of it, Dax seemed to have similar feelings. He nudged Alpha aside, leaning down so that he was eye level with the boy.

"So. As you were saying," he said, "Where's Spike at? And Klipse? Did he already start experimenting?"

Bren let out a small gasp. He remembered that name. It was Dax's informant for the Grandma Future mission, and old friend. Was he here too? Just how many people were involved with this?

"Klipse went to a different part of the temple" Exi said, holding his hands up a bit as the cuffs jingled, "I'm pretty sure down the stairs where the others went. Can't be too sure though. And that was… An hour ago?"

Dax grit his teeth, and charged out the room.

"H-hey!" Alpha shouted and ran after him. Bren took one look at the boy (who had a suspicious smirk on his face that made him nervous) and went after them too.

"Dax hold on!" Bren shouted. Alpha immediately turned back.

"You stay there and watch the kid!" he said. Before Bren could react, he was pushed to the ground, footsteps running away from them as Alpha let out a curse.

"By the way. Your girlfriend should be upstairs somewhere with that monk woman!" Exi shouted. Alpha ran a few feet, but stopped as he looked back and forth down the corridor, caught between who to run after. He let out a frustrated noise.

"I told you to stay back!" he shouted as Bren dusted himself off, "Now he's probably gonna go warn them or something!"

"Calm down. That's a dead end remember?" Bren said, bringing the Core Tablet up, "Besides, I think we have bigger things to worry about. Especially if there's more people here. And not to mention wherever they decided to take Jinja."

Alpha's eye twitched, and he let out a sigh, "… Good point. But don't think I'll let this go. You and your crew are way too loose with how you operate."

Bren shifted on his feet as Alpha marched past him back towards the direction that Dax ran in. He couldn't help but wonder what the two had been talking about before he and Alpha came in. It probably wasn't too important, seeing as Dax didn't even bother to stay. He let out a sigh.

"C'mon," Alpha said, "Let's go find Jinja.

HLP

"Careful. The temple is extremely fragile."

"I really doubt that. Just looking at the other walls here."

Once they reached the back of the temple, the group had split up according to the tasks, trying to make their presence as small as possible. Kilo and Beyal had separated from the others as they approached the back wall, and were currently looking for a weathered panel that would give them a clean way in.

The monk had directed Alpha and Bren to use the sewer entrance that would lead directly to the holding cells (to which Bren immediately complained about) and then X-Ray and Chase to a hidden exit that would lead them to the main hall (which would be the best place to start looking for the energy since X-Ray couldn't pinpoint it).

"Are you sure there's even a loose panel here? It all seems to be made of stone," Kilo said. While that wasn't entirely true, he could tell there were parts that had been reinforced. Beyal just continued to search until he finally pressed against a wood panel. With a 'click,' another moved out of place.

"Patience gives us a clear path," Beyal said with a smile. He slowly made his way inside, and seemed to have a hard time moving (though Kilo wouldn't mind giving a helping hand if needed). Kilo followed along without another word.

After going through the outer wall, they went towards a small window that was actually hidden behind another panel before crawling through into a hall. It seemed vacant enough, without a single sign of life.

"It doesn't look like they activated any traps," Beyal said looking around, "That's strange."

"Why would they? It's not like they'd know how right?" Kilo said with a raised brow. Beyal shook his head.

"No. One of them would know," he said, "Although. It has been a while apparently. And I'm sure Master Ey disarmed most of the traps a long time ago."

"Who?"

"Oh. My master," Beyal explained as they started to make their way through the hall. He had already said that they would know if someone was coming down the hall, which relaxed them somewhat, "He oversaw the temple and the library for years, and knows all about monsuno and the Five Tribes."

"Really?" Kilo asked. He could see Beyal smile a little at the mention of the old man, but it seemed rather... Distant, and soon turned into a frown. There was a report once made by S.T.O.R.M. about a raid made during Charlemagne's reign that dealt with this temple. Kilo hadn't read to much into it, but apparently there was a single casualty.

He made the connection at the sight of the courtyard and how Beyal had grown quiet.

Neither of them said anything after that as they hurried down the hall. It was rather pleasant, and apparently once housed the monks years ago. The exit they used was also a secret way out in case of emergencies (and a favorite place to sneak out according to Beyal). Once they reached a crossway, however, Kilo grabbed his extendable nightstick, flicking it out as they approached.

"That's really unnecessary," Beyal said as they made their way down, "Master Ey often said to find peaceful solutions to problems, especially with monsuno."

Kilo let out a small laugh, "Yeah. Like the way you used that flower pollen? Sorry to say, but I don't think that trick will work on these people. Especially after seeing what they could do without monsuno."

Beyal grew quiet, but Kilo could see that was because he was a bit distracted. The monk came to a stop, his gaze becoming unfocused for a second.

"… Um. You alright there?" Kilo asked. It looked like the other had gone into some sort of trance, but quickly came out of it as his eyes blinked a few times. He looked around, looking disoriented.

"Uh. You okay?" Kilo repeated. Beyal shook his head, then started leading the way again without another word. Once they got to the end of the hall, Kilo could see a large, circular room ahead of them with a staircase that lined the wall. It was easy to see that it led downward, but with the lighting getting dimmer the further they went in, it would be harder to see if an ambush was waiting for them.

"... Be careful," Beyal warned as they came to the edge, "This is one of the stairwells that leads down into the underground halls."

"Wait. Why are we going there? I thought we were supposed to be looking for the main office where the Hand of Destiny and Klipse would be in?" Kilo asked, following behind anyway as the monk started trailing down the staircase.

"We are," Beyal replied, "At first I thought they would be in the upstairs rooms. But now, I'm not so sure… I have a feeling that they would be somewhere more… Conspicuous."

The stairs didn't seem to have an end as Kilo looked down the middle. He shuddered at the thought of falling.

"So why didn't we go with the others? Don't the underground tunnels all connect?" he asked. Beyal shook his head.

"Not really. The holding cells were made after the bookman seized the library, so they were placed in another part of the temple," he explained, "No one really liked the idea of any of his men being near the temple in general, but Master Ey knew it was necessary for our own safety once they started to find their way here."

Kilo raised a brow. He had never heard of the history of the library or the temple, but knew that there had been some sort of fight over it with this so called Bookman that wiped out most of the monks in Tebab. He shook his head, knowing that questions he had would have to be answered at a different time.

"And I've never actually been there," Beyal admitted, "And I would like to keep it that way."

Kilo raised a brow, but didn't say anything. They reached the bottom of the stairs rather fast. As soon as they did, Beyal let out a small gasp and started sprinting down the hall.

"H-hey!" Kilo shouted after. The place they were in was massive, and he didn't want to get separated from the other. They passed by large columns and through other halls, hardly getting a chance for a break. Even with his training, he found it hard to keep up with the monk as he sped through. It was almost as if he was being guided along by someone else from the way his eyes stayed looking forward.

Beyal came to a stop, nearly making Kilo trip over his own feet.

"… What? What is it?" he asked. Beyal's eyes looked all around, and he let out a sigh.

"… It doesn't look like anyone has been down here," Beyal said. Kilo was about to respond when he realized that the monk was speaking to someone else. He kept looking away, as if there were someone with the two of them. Was this some weird monsuno stuff again?

"We should leave," the monk said, "I have a feeling they'll want to come down here."

 _"Oh I wouldn't be so hasty!"_

The two of them jumped, and quickly turned towards the voice that joined them. Kilo gripped his weapon and took a few steps forward before hearing a small gasp. He kept his gaze ahead, watching as an old man stepped out from behind a pillar. He held a woman in front of him with one hand and held a blade close to her throat with the other, both of them wearing tan robes. Neither of them were familiar to him.

But to Beyal, they were all too familiar.

"Bekka!" the monk nearly ran at the two, core in hand. But Kilo reacted quick enough to grab his arm. He immediately stepped between, knowing that they would have to be even more careful now that there was a civilian involved. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Of course he'd get the worst case scenario to deal with.

"I didn't know S.T.O.R.M. would be here so fast," the old man said, but shrugged, "That matters not I suppose. Not when we have other business to attend to."

"You let her go right now bookman! Or I'll make sure you never leave this room," Beyal said, holding onto a core. Kilo couldn't help but give a surprised look. He never saw the other act that way, and it was such a switch from a few minutes ago that he immediately knew that the woman must've meant something to him.

That would just mean he had to work fast.

"What is it that you want?" Kilo asked, keeping his gaze steeled. The old man, the bookman, looked to Beyal.

"Well. I just need a certain door opened. And the little monk boy has to do it for me!" he said with a smirk, "Otherwise. Well. He'll definitely become the last monk of Tebab! So don't even think about calling out your monsuno. You may be fast, but I can be faster!"

He pressed the knife closer to the woman's neck, who let out a small gasp of pain. Beyal inhaled sharply, and turned to Kilo with a look. He didn't like this. Something about it felt off. He didn't remember hearing about an old man working with Klipse or the Hand of Destiny (except for maybe a butler), and he doubted that asking outright would give them an answer.

"How about you just drop your cores, and come this way," the bookman said. Neither of them made a move. The old man frowned.

"Are you really not going to listen?" he asked, then clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Fine. I guess you'll have to take care of them."

Foot steps approached. They both quickly turned around to see a tall figure in black. A crystal blade slipped from their sleeve, and charged towards the two.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	31. Chapter 31

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, monsunolover, monsuno power, and Glowblades998 for the reviews. Fair warning. As we approach the ending, it will be getting violent. Probably not a whole lot, but just in case anyone was expecting a PG ending (which it's not).

Enjoy...?

* * *

The halls were quiet. Except for their footsteps that would trail along. Chase would've been complaining about it if it weren't for the fact that they had to stay silent.

He frowned, thinking about the situation as he followed behind X-Ray, who kept looking down at the screen on his wrist. He already knew the reason that they were paired up. No doubt Alpha was worried that Chase would've done something rash if put in charge of any other part of this mission (especially going after Klipse and the Hand). But he was also a bit surprised that the red-haired leader didn't decide to go after them either. Was he... Afraid? Or perhaps he was just confident in his teammates abilities.

Chase couldn't help but admit to himself that Alpha was actually a very competent leader. It was impressive how he was able to gauge the situation and make decisions right then and there. Still, he would have preferred the straight forward method.

"... Hey. Suno."

He turned to see X-Ray looking around the corner, tapping at a screen on his wrist.

"Y-yeah?"

"Don't start spacing like that. It won't do any of us good if you're not here to help," the teen snapped, "This way."

The two snuck through the halls rather quickly, but with little success of finding the monsuno essence that was stolen. Chase still felt frustrated that he was part of such a simple part of the mission. But he was in no right to complain, considering he wouldn't even know where to go in the temple.

Moreover, he was unsure of whether or not he'd be able to hold his own after what happened with that fake Sophia. Sure, he felt stronger holding onto his cores now, especially Locke's. But...

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to start doubting himself. Not with so much at stake.

X-Ray had led them down a few different halls, passing by rooms that Chase could only assume held vital information. He remembered how the Dawnmaster had stolen the books from the library and housed them here, but he wasn't sure if they were ever returned. In which case they could be searching through thousands of books for some sort of sign of the energy.

"Over there!" X-Ray whispered, pointing to a door at the end of the hall. He had a nervous look on his face as he tapped away at the screen.

"What? What is it?" Chase asked, giving a quick look down the hall in case someone was around.

"T-The energy in there... The readings are massive! I've never seen something like this before," the other teen stuttered out, "Whatever they're doing in there spells trouble for us."

Chase took a breath, and ran to the door. Even he had to admit he could feel something inside as he stood next to it. He shook his head, and pushed it open.

Both he and X-Ray let out gasps. All inside the large, circular room were vials and containers of monsuno energy. Chase took a few cautionary steps inside, seeing the different sizes and amounts that were present. He heard X-Ray behind him, tapping at the screen on his wrist. Chase went over and grabbed one of the smaller containers, and instantly recognized the numbers on it as the base from the jungle. So this is what they were using it for...

"Suno. Over here," X-Ray whispered. Chase looked over, pocketing the container. He saw empty canisters further in, and soon realized how much was missing.

"What are they-"

 _"It's going to be a bomb."_

The two teens jumped, and quickly turned around to the new voice. Chase recognized the red jacket immediately as a figure stepped out from the shadows.

"Six," he said, "What... What are you doing here?"

"Assisting my father of course," the clone said emotionlessly, "And you are in the way. Step aside."

Chase steeled himself, and took a hold of Locke's core. X-Ray grabbed his wrist immediately.

"What are you _doing_?" he hissed, "You spin out here, and we're all going up in flames!"

Chase frowned, and turned back to Six, who was now picking up one of the larger containers. For the most part, he seemed to be ignoring them. He gave a cautionary glance towards them, and let out a sigh.

"I'll... Tell you where your friends are if you come with me," Six said, "I-I mean. If you beat me. In a battle. With our monsuno."

Chase raised a brow, and immediately took a step forward before X-Ray grabbed his arm again.

"Hold on," he said, "He's trying to separate us. And Alpha's gone to get your friends already. It's obviously a rouse. Why can't you just think for a change instead of doing what everyone says!"

Chase looked back to Six, who had an unreadable expression. He gripped onto Locke's core, feeling the energy inside buzzing away. Oh he knew that it was some sort of trick, that was way too obvious from the way that Six spoke. However, he knew that they were pressed for time, especially if they were doing something with this energy that had to do with a bomb. As much as he liked playing it safe, they didn't have the time to do so.

"If you don't hurry, my father will definitely be having his way with them. Your friends I mean," Six said, "And believe me, they will be less then human if he does."

Chase inhaled sharply. As much as he wanted to put faith in Alpha and the others, he wasn't about to risk Jinja or Dax either. Besides, if Locke was itching for a fight, then he would have to listen. After all, listening to his monsuno never steered him wrong so far.

"Don't worry. I got this. Besides, he's probably taking the energy down to the bomb, which means he'll lead us right to it," Chase said to the other, then took a step forward, "Alright then. Ready when you are!"

Six nodded, and walked off through another door. X-Ray grabbed Chase's arm a third time.

"Don't you know how to take any orders?" he said exasperated, "Even if he were to lead us there, what's stopping him from alerting everyone else here?"

Chase rolled his eyes, then pointed at the energy in the room.

"Would you rather have him in here? With all of this?" Chase asked, and saw the other instantly fidget, "I doubt he'd tell anyone about us either, especially if he wants a monsuno battle. Look. Just... Call Commander Trey or something. He should be here soon right? Send them a signal and have them come get the energy. In the mean time, we can go find the bomb and disarm it. That's what we're supposed to do anyway right?"

He didn't leave room to argue as he ran after Six, X-Ray close on his heels. With the options he gave, Chase was sure that X-Ray was going to come along and do what he said. He may not be some hot shot S.T.O.R.M. leader, but he knew what to do in times of action.

Instead of saying something, Chase focused his attention ahead at the clone, who was silently leading them down the hall. As soon as they reached another large room, he saw a staircase leading downward. Six stopped, and turned around to face them.

"If you beat me, then I'll let you through to your friends," Six said, pointed to the stairs. Chase couldn't help but laugh inwardly. Was he really being serious? Even if he managed to lose (which he wasn't), Six just gave him the way out to the rest of them. This guy was definitely Klipse's clone. Not bright.

"Alright then," Chase said, holding up Locke's core. Six followed suit, holding up a red core. X-Ray stood a few feet from Chase, bringing up his communicator.

"Locke!"

"Serno!"

"Launch!"

HLP

"Is it almost ready Tallis?"

The two men stood there in one of the underground tunnels, a large metal case in front of them. The shorter man tapped away at the keyboard wordlessly.

"Why y-yes it is E-Emmanuel. Once we g-g-get out of r-range I can trigger it," he said. Klipse had managed to sneak him inside the underground, but for some reason the rest of his Punk Monks weren't present (not that it would matter). They had spent almost an hour setting up the newly reformed wild core bomb. It was similar to the previous ones, but this one was built much more differently. For one thing, it wasn't in some small suitcase that could easily be confused for lost luggage. Instead, this one was large, round, and stuck in the floor (like a bomb should in his opinion).

Klipse smirked to himself. After seeing the capabilities that his gauntlet had on monsuno based lifeforms, he knew he would have to apply its technology to the bomb, especially because of where they were. If he could manipulate the energy in the air, then he could use it all to his advantage.

Especially against those experiments of the Hand of Destiny.

"Are you sure that it will be able to detonate? The last thing we need is a faulty bomb," Klipse said.

"D-don't worry yourself. I-I made s-s-sure while escaping S.T.O.R.M. with a smaller v-version," Tallis said, "Even with what little e-e-energy was in the ship, the b-bomb was s-s-still able to blow out a whole wall."

Klipse grinned darkly. Along with his experiment on the lowlander taking place, he definitely had the upper hand in this battle. He had already fulfilled his part of the bargain by building a device that would set off the shadoweffect, but that wasn't enough for him. Such a dangerous power would surely leave them all defenseless against those experiments.

Which was the only reason Klipse came up with a backup plan. As soon as they were sure that the Hand of Destiny got a hold of Suno, he would set the whole place into flames!

He never did trust those experiments. Even when they were in his lab in the lowlands, he didn't like them skulking around, not to mention how that older brat nearly got Madea to turn on him. But if they wanted to get revenge on Suno, he wasn't about to stand in their way. But with how he and that brown-haired brat were practically dancing around each other, Klipse wasn't about to let those things walk from this battle unscathed. He was practically killing two birds with one stone.

"Once you're ready, we'll be on our way," he said, taking a hold of Backslash's core.

"Wh-wh-what about y-your clone? And the r-r-rest of Eklipse? Shouldn't you w-warn them?" Tallis asked.

Klipse raised a brow.

"I'm only concerned f-for your name," Tallis said, "t-t-the only reason my P-Punk Monks aren't here is because t-t-they remember what h-happened last t-t-time we were cornered. Their faith in me h-h-hasn't quite been the s-s-same since I tried to l-l-leave them behind in the junkyard."

Klipse gave an annoyed look. When they had their spare time, Tallis had gone into detail about one particular incident (concerning one particular Suno) where the man had nearly left behind his devoted followers. Of course, Klipse would've done something similar if put in the same position, which was probably why he was making the decisions the way he was at the moment.

"I'll tell Hargrave and the assassin, but everyone else is on their own," Klipse said. He half wanted to tell Six of their plan, but he was meant to keep Suno busy at the moment. Besides. That factor was becoming more unpredictable with the way he was acting.

"I'll b-b-be waiting up s-s-stairs then," Tallis stuttered, and started walking back to the edge of the room where the staircase was. Klipse lingered for a moment, looking down at the new wild core bomb (he would have to come up with a new name for it). He chuckled to himself. Out of all the weapons conceived, who knew that something as simple as a bomb would be able to wipe out his enemies. Sure it wasn't the most elegant way, but it was successful.

While they would all be busy fighting with each other, he could get the jump on everyone. Especially now that his deal with the Hand of Destiny was complete and had gallons of monsuno essence at his disposal.

Klipse laughed again, "I can't wait to see the look on his face!"

 _"On whose face, Emmanuel?"_

He jumped, and slowly turned around. Leaning against one of the columns was the brown-haired teen from the Hand. In his hand was a single blade, which he was twirling with one hand absentmindedly.

"... Well?" he asked. Klipse took a step back, clearly unable to explain himself. How could he with that chunk of metal sticking out of the ground.

"Oh. Suno of course," he said, calming himself down, "I was just about to warn you about my little invention-a wild core bomb! Just a little something to take care of Chase and the rest of Team Core Tech by morning."

The teen raised a brow, then looked over to it. Klipse could feel his palms getting sweaty, and clutched onto Backslash's core with a fake smile. The teen let out a scoff, pocketing his knife and pushing himself away from the column.

"... Don't think I wouldn't have know about it," Ehna said, the motioned towards the stairs, "After all, Tallis worked with us while you were in prison. Did you really think we wouldn't stay in contact?"

Klipse's smirk fell, then turned into a sneer. Ehna chuckled a bit.

"Really? A wild core bomb? That's a little on the basic side don't you think?" he said, walking over to the metal case. He wiped some of the dust away, looking at it as if it were nothing more than a broken toy, "I would think you'd be smarter then that. Especially if you wanted to take us and Suno out with it."

Klipse grabbed a core, turning to spin out. His hand was stopped as soon as he tried to spin out, now being blocked by the other. The teen smirked as he threw the man back without any effort. Klipse let out a gasp as he hit the ground. He wasn't about to be beat!

He got back up, still holding onto Backslash's core. The teen laughed again.

"Don't think you can use that here!" he said, "We're close to the seal of monsuno essence. It prevents the use of something like a core, especially one of your caliber."

Klipse growled, remembering the last time he _did_ try to spin out. It was at the underground caverns when he first met this brat. Six had warned him ahead of time to stay out of range to call out a monsuno, and it was obviously the same here.

But he was prepared this time.

The teen took one step forward before another sound interrupted. He raised a brow as Klipse hunched over. The sound was small at first, but soon built and echoed throughout the room.

Klipse was laughing.

"Oh I think you're mistaken!" he exclaimed, holding up the core for the other to see. It was subtle, but if one was really looking, they would notice the differences when compared to the previous version.

"While you and your lackey's were running around trying to get monsuno essence, Jeredy and I had been busy perfecting the core technology!" Klipse boasted, "After what happened in the final encounter with the Hand of Destiny, Locke went under a stage that gave him a bit of a power up. Jeredy had to apply new technology to the core to accommodate. So I thought, why shouldn't I do the same?"

To prove his point, Klipse turned and threw the core towards one of the columns. As it hit, red sparks burst from it, releasing Backslash from within. It let out a roar, making the room quake. The teen looked shocked, taking a step back.

"While it took me longer, I realized I would have to do the same thing," Klipse continued, "And ever since my find in the fossil monsuno and that first encounter in the desert we had, I knew that preparations would need to be made, even if I could only apply it to my own personal monsuno. Be glad that you are the first to see Hyper Backslash!"

The red beast let out a roar, making the nearby columns crack and shatter. It had definitely gotten bigger by this point, now almost twice the size that it used to be, looking even more sinister. Klipse grinned to himself, knowing that his crave for power and caution of the other group was what helped bring his little project together. Especially after finally escaping S.T.O.R.M.!

He let out another laugh, "I guess this is goodbye. I would say I enjoyed your company, but I would be lying! Backslash, **Hellbreaker!** "

The monsuno opened its jowls wide, preparing a powerful beam as the energy in the air hummed. Klipse's eyes widened with madness, knowing that it was the influence of that seal that was giving a boost. Backslash didn't hesitate as the energy blasted towards the teen.

Klipse let out a laugh of triumph.

However, he had been so caught up in admiration of his feat that he failed to notice the new presence that entered the room.

Whoever they were rushed right past him, kicking into Backslash's jaw and making the beam go wide. A shower of rubble was tossed into the air as it hit the walls and ceiling. Klipse quickly turned to see his monsuno recover, snarling down at it's new foe. He was a bit surprised to see that it was the raven-haired boy that had been lurking in the hall before. But that didn't matter. He was just a child after all.

"Backslash, finish them!" he shouted. The monsuno let out a grunt. It charged forward towards them with a roar. The boy took a step forward, holding his hands up. Klipse looked on eagerly, watching as green energy built in front of him. Finally! He'd see that one's abilities!

It was gone quickly, however, and the boy let out a pained sound, taking a step back. The other teen saw this, letting out a curse before grabbing the other. Backslash jumped down at the two, causing more rubble to crash into the air. Klipse squinted through, trying to see where they had gone.

Before he could react, a green blast erupted into the air, sending him right off his feet and towards the far side of the room.

Klipse let out a gasp as he landed awkwardly on his arm, and looked up in time to see Backslash being thrown in his direction. With a panicked shout, he dove out of the way as it crashed into the wall. The monsuno let out a weak moan before turning back into red sparks. It retreated weakly back into the core, which was now lying helplessly on the ground.

The older teen stood there panting, staring down Klipse as if silently challenging him to do something. There was a weak sound, and Ehna turned to see the boy getting up. They exchanged looks, though there was something deadly in the older's eyes that Klipse could only described as cold. The boy looked away, dragging his feet down the hall that led back to the main stairwell. The brown-haired teen watched for a second until the other disappeared into the shadows.

"...'Foolish desires of humanity continue to increase," Ehna said, eyes still gazing distantly into the darkness of the room, "'The erosion caused by the monsuno energy continues. We will stop the destruction of earth at any cost and open a new door with our bonds.'"

The teen stopped, then looked down to Klipse, "... Those were words spoken by the five tribes once before as they made their pact with the original monsuno. Promises made to help their connections. Could you imagine what they would think, knowing their actions were for naught?"

He let out a chuckle. Klipse tried to get to his feet, finding his strength failing. He looked around the room, trying to find Tallis, or even Six. Where was that useless clone when he needed him...!

Whatever. He would have to stall for time. Surely someone would've noticed all the commotion.

"... Let me guess," Klipse rasped out, "With me and Tallis out of the way, you're planning on getting your revenge on Suno. And then seize the world for your own. Am I right?"

Ehna let out another laugh.

"I'm afraid it's not as simple as your or Tallis' purpose. Or even that S.T.O.R.M. woman's goals," he sighed, "No. Ours is more then some petty revenge or take over the world scheme, though destruction is a part of it. Just... Not that of humanity."

There was a scream of pain that rang throughout the halls. Klipse jumped, unsure of where it came from.

"You see, the original five tribes knew of the dangers that lie with monsuno, and knew that if it came down to it, they would have to be destroyed," the teen said, "It has come to that now. As it stands, we cannot seize the world. Not with monsuno protecting it... So what would happen if the playing field was equalized. If humans had to stand on their own as if monsuno energy never existed."

He walked over to Klipse, leaning down so they were at eye level.

"What would happen if you were left on your own? Which of us do you think could take the world in that case?" he said with a dark grin, turning on his heel and walking away, "I'm sure you're little inventions can get you far..." he tapped on the bomb, "But not as far as we can on our own. Especially seeing your reliance on the pitiful beasts."

He walked away towards the exit as if Klipse were nothing more then a wounded animal. He hated that look of pity. He hated that assumption that he, the leader of Eklipse, could be underestimated!

"So what? You're going to... Destroy all monsuno?" he snapped, getting onto his hands and knees. His grip on Backslash's core tightened. The teen didn't even bother to stop or turn back, "What about you all? Don't you have that liquid poison flowing through your veins? What will happen if you decide to destroy them and monsuno essence?"

The teen stopped, lingering at the doorway for a moment. Klipse breathed heavily, trying to control his own urge to spin his monsuno out at the other.

"... Maybe nothing," he said, then turned back with a steeled gaze, "Or maybe the same thing as Tesserah when your clone crushed her into dust."

He held something up, and Klipse let out a gasp. Somehow, that brat managed to get a hold of the gauntlet that Six was in charge of. Did that mean something happened to the clone? Klipse grit his teeth, now ready to spin out.

"... She's still here though," the teen continued, looking down at the metal, "I feel it. The energy from before is still in here... Which means one less sacrifice."

Klipse growled, shakily getting back to his feet. Backslash's core was fizzled out, no doubt needing to recover. He reached for another, prepared to spin it out.

As soon as he did, the core whirled across the floor and clattered against the wall. It didn't do more then just that, however. He growled, throwing another and another until he had no more, forgetting how he had only managed to upgrade Backslash's core. Ehna let out another laugh.

"Well. I hope you have fun with your little tin can here," he said, tilting his head towards the bomb, "Hopefully it goes off as planned. Otherwise I can guarantee this won't be the last time we see each other."

Klipse clenched his teeth even more, now physically shaking with anger. The teen smirked, and walked away without another word.

HLP

The fight in the courtyard was taking a toll on them, if only because of the fact that they were severely outnumbered. Tango resorted to calling out Ironjaw to hold back the strange purple monsuno, and had managed to stand her ground as Bravo took out the brutes from Darkspin. The woman, on the other hand, was more sneaky on her attack and waited until Ironjaw was at half it's energy before spinning out.

"Poisonwing! Hellish hurricane!" she exclaimed with glee. The red monsuno let out a hiss, and launched a blast towards Ironjaw. The beetle-like monsuno narrowly evaded, but ended up getting clawed at by the other monsuno.

"Ironjaw! Go left!" Tango shouted. Her monsuno followed, but soon got tackled into the snow by one of the purple monsuno. She grit her teeth, trying to look for a way out. With how dark it was and with the blizzard rising, she could barely tell where anyone was, which made it harder to tell where the monsuno were.

She let out a pant. They were clearly outnumbered, but they weren't meant to win. Only hold the enemy's attention. Tango snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a round of laughter.

"You're clearly out of your league little girl," Madea smirked, twirling her core in her hand, "And I know you probably didn't come here for a losing fight. So why don't you tell me where little Suno is at and I won't let my darling Poisonwing chew you to bits."

Tango growled, and quickly looked back to Bravo. It was hard to see in the darkness, but she could see that he was still facing off against the other three on his own, one of them successfully spinning out and battling Deadfall. But there were still a dozen purple monsuno around, not to mention wherever that monsuno man went. She looked down at her communicator, seeing a message on there. If they could hold out for just a bit longer-

She was snapped out of her daze when another blast came close, Ironjaw taking the hit full on.

"Ironjaw!" Tango exclaimed. It staggered to get back up as Madea continued to laugh.

"Take care of the little brat," she said. The viper let out a hiss before launching a blast towards the girl. Tango let out a gasp and dove to the side. She nearly got blown off the side of the cliff, and stared down the woman. Ironjaw let out a weak sound before disappearing into a shower of yellow back into it's core.

"I'm not one to play fairly " Madea said, tossing her core up and down, "But don't worry. I'll be sure to tell your teammates about how noble you were in trying to face me while I'm tearing them limb from limb !"

Poisonwing let out a hiss as it rose above Madea. Tango looked down at Ironjaw. If she could stall for only a few more minutes...

"Any last requests little soldier girl?" Madea said. Tango looked back to Bravo, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hold off everyone on his own. She had to think of something fast. What would her teammates do...

What would Jinja do?...

She stood up, and pointed at Madea with her core in one hand.

"I challenge you to a one-on-one battle. No monsuno," she said. She raised her fists, ready to charge forward. Madea raised a brow before letting out a cackle.

"Do you really think I'd be so naive as to agree to that?" she smirked, "I think I'll just battle with my dear monsuno at my side! It's not like you can take me on anyway!"

Tango took a step back, then looked behind to see the large cliffside. There was the sound of wind in the distance that was getting closer. She knew that this was what she had signed up for, and knew what the costs would be even before they arrived. With a steady breath, she faced Madea and her monsuno.

Madea commanded the viper forward. Before it could get near, a large black monsuno clashed into it. Poisonwing let out an angry hiss as the two landed into the snow. Madea's smirk fell away. Tango blinked, instantly recognizing the monsuno. She turned around, hearing the sound of S.T.O.R.M. ships.

One rose from the cliffside, it's lights settling on the battle. Tango squinted to see Commander Trey standing on the side of the cloud hopper holding onto a strike launcher. More ships rose up, going out towards the other monsuno now edging back towards the temple gate at their appearance. Madea clicked her tongue in annoyance, clearly unimpressed.

"Poisonwing, stasis sting!"

"Blackbullet, body wall!" Commander Trey ordered, swinging down on a cord next to Tango. He took a few steps forward, looking around and taking note of the situation.

"Where's Alpha?" he asked. Tango snapped out of her daze.

"He's inside," she said, "me and Bravo are the only ones out here."

He nodded, then turned back. Madea had regained her confident air, and was now twirling the core in her fingers again. Despite the soldiers who were now trying to round up the purple monsuno, she was calm. Tango shivered at the look.

"Give yourself up now, Madea. And your sentencing will be shortened," Trey said. She let out a laugh.

"Don't think you've won just yet!" she smirked, "I still have quite a few tricks up my sleeves!"

Before either of them could say anything, one of the cloud hopper's suddenly burst into flames. Tango turned with a gasp, seeing it swerve for a second before going down, nearly crashing into Bravo and the other Darkspin members. Trey let out a curse, grabbing something from his belt.

"Don't move!" he exclaimed. Tango turned back around to see the monsuno man standing a short distance away. He didn't seem to hear (or he didn't care) as he took a breath and shot a beam of energy at another cloud hopper. It quickly exploded, the soldiers jumping out to take cover as it crashed into the snow banks.

Trey didn't hesitate to shoot. Tango flinched away at the round of gunfire. When it stopped, she looked up to see that it hardly did any damage, and the man set his eyes on the two. Tango let out a shiver, and took a step back. She felt her breath hitch as he took a single step forward.

He was gone in an instant.

Both her and Trey looked all around. She took a step closer to the commander as he grabbed another core and loaded it into the strike launcher.

"Commander!" one of the soldiers shouted from the cloud hopper above them, "Where should we-Gah!"

The two looked up to see the soldier being pulled back into the ship, then flung out over the side. Tango let out a gasp, seeing the old Commandant now taking down the soldiers inside. Trey let out a curse, and took a hold of the line he jumped down on and pulled out a small communicator.

"Commandant Marshall Jon! We're in trouble down here! We need reinforcements now!"

Tango turned to help, but stumbled back with a gasp. The monsuno man was now between her and Trey, hunched low as one claw extended out towards her. She stumbled back, his claws catching onto the front of her suit. She was thrown back with a gasp, landing in the snow bank. Looking down, she could see that only the front of her breastplate had been scratched through.

Commander Trey turned to see the two, and raised the strike launcher again. The man didn't give him time to shoot, and charged towards him in two short strides.

Blood flew into an arc as the man slashed up into Trey's chest.

Tango let out a scream.

There was a look of confusion on the commanders face as blood landed on the snow, staining it red. Before he could even react, the monsuno man came up again, this time slashing the right side of his face. Trey let out a pained gasp, eyes going wide before collapsing into the snow, unmoving. The monsuno man waited for a reaction, but none came.

Tango felt her ears ringing, falling to her knees. She could faintly hear Bravo calling out to her. She looked up to see the monsuno man take a step towards her, but his attention was elsewhere. She followed his gaze, seeing Charlemagne at the head of the cloud hopper. Tango didn't bother with them, and ran towards Trey's side.

"Commander!"

Before she could get close, the man jumped up and threw his fists down at the ship. Tango flinched as the front was consumed by flames, and saw Charlemagne land on a far off ledge, not bothering with them and charging towards the temple.

"H-hold on!" Tango exclaimed after her. She ran towards the other, stopping just a few feet from her fallen Commander before hearing the cloud hopper let out a horrid sound. The monsuno man landed where Charlemange had just moments ago, watching her retreating figure.

"Tango look out!" Bravo exclaimed, running towards them. She turned to see the cloud hopper struggling to stay airborne, ready to protect Trey in case it came near. Eventually, it gave out and dropped down into the gorge.

Unfortunately, because of the darkness, she failed to see the cord that Trey had used to jump down, now winding away with the ship. Before she could react, she was yanked off her feet towards the ledge with a short cry. She turned enough to see her foot caught, and tried grabbing onto something as she was dragged to the edge.

"Tango!"

She let out a shout as she fell down with the burning remains of the cloud hopper. The last thing she saw before blacking out was Bravo reaching over the ledge, barely missing her fingertips.

* * *

A/N:

The attack that Backslash used was a bit made up, as that was just it's name used in the Japanese dub.

Also the speech made by Ehna was also taken from the Japanese dub for the beginning of every episode during season 2 (just little random facts).

Review Review Review!


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Thanks to Darpsonic6, TacticianLyra, Glowblades998, ChasexJinjaForever, monsuno power, and monsuno lover for the reviews. Unfortunately we won't be getting to those character just yet, as there's a lot of action to cover, and plenty of others who I nearly forgot about until it was pointed out to me.

If the updates seem prolonged, it's because these chapters are getting increasingly longer (on a tight schedule here with my beta).

Enjoy!

* * *

The halls were extremely confusing to navigate through. Even though he could've asked Bren for help, Dax knew he would need to settle the turmoil between him and his brother. That was his priority right now. But from the look that Alpha was shooting him, he doubted they would even want to come help him.

"It's been almost an hour now," Alpha huffed, who had been checking his watch vigorously the entire time they walked, "We need to find Jinja and go help the others!"

"Will you keep it down? Getting caught isn't going to do us any good," Bren snapped, then regretted it immediately at the glare that Alpha shot him.

"I'm just following through with the plan," the red-haired teen stated, "And even if you don't want to follow orders, Jinja is still somewhere on her own, and we need to help! Not to mention how the others are doing right now."

They came to a room with stairs leading both up and down. This whole temple was starting to get irritatingly confusing. Dax grit his teeth, and then finally let out a sigh. This was starting to get annoying. He turned around to the other two with a huff.

"Look. Jinja's going to be fine. Alright? The little bugger told me so."

"Oh yeah? And how can you be sure that you can trust him?" Alpha asked with narrowed eyes, "I'm sure he's plenty reliable."

Dax frowned, then pinched the bridge of his nose. He really didn't have time to run around the temple with the rest of them. Not with Spike in the hands of Klipse!

"Look... Just. Go upstairs and look in the rooms in the west wing," he said, and started running down the staircase into the dark. Since he was running in the opposite direction, he was half sure that those two wouldn't follow. Sure enough, when he reached the bottom and turned around, they were nowhere to be seen.

He let out another sigh, looking around to see where to head next. This place really was a bit of a maze, considering the amount of underground corridors and rooms there were (not to mention how they had to go a roundabout way of getting out of the holding cells area). But it didn't matter how long he had to look, he was going to find Spike.

He ran through a torch lit corridor, trying to figure his way around. But the more he ran, the more he realized what a bad idea it was to get separated from Bren and Alpha. Not only did he not have his monsuno, but he had no clue where to go.

"Ah man," he sighed, looking all around at the different halls that split every which way. Great. Just when he thoughts he could find Spike, he gone and got himself lost. As he looked around, he realized that he quickly forgot what direction he came in. Even better.

"This is just bleezin' perfect," he said, "Just when I thought that-"

There was the sound of metal dropping, and he quickly turned around. Standing in one of the halls was none other then Professor Tallis of the Forge Resistance. Caught off guard, then man simply stared at Dax for a second before recognizing the teen. It was then that Dax remembered how he and Klipse were allies just a few months ago.

Which meant he had information.

The doctor immediately reached down and grabbed a core. Dax stepped back, remembering how he woke up to find his bandolier missing.

"Triplex, l-launch!"

The core quickly went spinning along to the wall. Dax let out a gasp, then started to run for it. There was the sound of metal, and he flinched, waiting for a flash of orange.

When nothing happened, he turned around to see the core still lamely lying next to the wall. The Professor blinked, completely caught off guard. Dax turned to him with a smirk. Sure if he were outmatched with no monsuno he'd be worried. But it was just him and the old man.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Tallis turned and ran back down the hall he just came from. Dax charged after him.

"Get back here!" he shouted, not caring if someone heard. Within a few seconds he tackled the Professor to the floor, " _Where is he_?!"

Tallis tried his best to get Dax off his back, but failed miserably, arms flailing at his sides, "I-I-I don't k-k-know what you're t-talking about!"

"I'm talking about Klipse you old geezer!" Dax exclaimed, getting up and ripping the orange cores away from Tallis' hands. He nearly wanted to chuck them aside when he realized that he might need something for protection (even if his cores were being defective at the moment).

Tallis rolled away, scooting against the wall until Dax was towering over him.

"There was another kid. Someone like me who was working with Klipse. And I know he's here somewhere," Dax hissed, trying hard to keep himself from pummeling the groveling man, "And you have five seconds to tell me before I take your cores a chuck them out the nearest window!"

As emphasis, Dax waved the cores high in the air. Immediately Tallis stood up.

"W-wait!" he said, no doubt wanting to keep his prime research intact, "I j-j-just got here! I've b-been working on the b-b-bomb! That's all!"

"Yeah yeah. I know. The bomb for the shadow effect," Dax waved.

"Wh-What? No! Not t-t-that one you fool! The new wild core bomb!" Tallis stuttered, "It's going to g-g-go off in an hour. W-W-we don't have m-m-much time!"

Dax inwardly cringed, remembering what Exi said about Klipse wanting to do his own thing and make another bomb. Great. Now he had a time limit.

"B-b-but as far as K-Klipse is concerned, that is a-all I know!" Tallis said, eyeing his cores. Dax immediately noticed, pocketed them, and started running down the corridor again.

"H-hold it!"

"I'll be keeping these as collateral!" Dax shouted, not bothering with him. Without monsuno, the professor was harmless, and if Bren and Alpha were still following, then they'd take care of him. If not, they'd run into him eventually. After all, Dax couldn't worry about any of that official S.T.O.R.M. stuff.

By the time he stopped running, he reached a circular room with even more halls stretching into the shadows (he'd have to have a talk with Beyal later about putting up signs cause this was downright ridiculous).

There was a scream down one of the halls that made him jump. Dax turned towards it, trying to see if someone would run out. No one did.

That voice wasn't familiar. And if there was danger down that way, that was the last place he needed to be. He looked around, and saw a glimmer of green on the floor. He knelt down, seeing a small vial of monsuno essence. He looked up to see a small trail leading down the torch lit corridor. He let out a small chuckle.

"I guess I have someone looking out for me today," he said, gripping the small vial and taking off down the hall. Normally he would've been more cautious, especially for something that could obviously be a trap. But for some reason, he didn't think that's what it was.

As he got to the end, he slowed his pace, making sure to be as silent as possible. He peeked into the room, gasping at what he saw.

Somehow, Klipse managed to get a whole machine in the underground room. It was almost like the one that Klipse had when he kidnapped Dax, except it was smaller and obviously more crude. The creepy butler was busying himself at the keyboard, and it was only then that Dax noticed the tank of water further in. A figure's shadow was inside, and it didn't take long for Dax to put it together.

"Spike!"

Hargrave jumped, turning back to the teen in surprise. Dax ran inside, no longer caring about the danger ahead of not having a monsuno. Monsuno didn't matter. Not when his brother needed him!

HLP

Jinja let out a sigh, pacing around the room for the seventh or eighth time. It was hard to tell how long she had been there, and while a nice open furnished room was better than the dark cells in the underground, it was hardly welcoming (especially considering the brawl she and Dax went through thinking they could escape).

She let out a sigh again, plopping down on a cushion on the floor. There was a commotion going on outside, but it was hard to tell through the darkness and the snow. With the different flashes of color, it was hard to tell exactly who was out there. Luckily, the one thing she hadn't seen was blue. At least that meant the others were nearby.

After being forced up here, she remembered hearing something about Chase (of course), as well as something about Beyal. She bit her thumb, trying to remember anything else that might help figure out what they're up to. Unfortunately, she had been dazed by that gray-haired man again, and wasn't able to move for a good ten minutes. Which meant anything important that could've been useful was nothing more than a blur, including why she was even up here.

Jinja sighed even more, lying back on the floor.

... She didn't have her cores. She was separated from Dax. And there's was a good chance that Chase and the others were walking right into a trap. Great.

"Ah. I need to get out of here," she said, then looked over to the door. She had inspected it and found there wasn't a keyhole, and probably functioned like the rest of the doors in the temple. She had looked up and down the place, but there was nothing here except more cushions, a mat that she assumed was a bed, and books. Absolutely nothing she could use to get out.

"... I really hope you're all okay. Wherever you are," she muttered, rubbing her bruised cheek. The sound of the door creaking open made her jump and sit back up. Her eyes narrowed when they landed on the gray-haired figure standing there.

"I guess you've heard all the goings on by now," he said with a grin, "Two twerps from S.T.O.R.M. were out there, and I'm guessing they're your friends. Seems like they called the whole cavalry to come this way, though I doubt they have a chance."

She didn't respond, standing up. Was it the Strike Squad out there? But if there were only two, where were the others? Surely they'd all be nearby. Unless...

Her eyes landed on the window that showed a flurry of snow. That's right. They were in the temple, which meant that Beyal would've given them insight on how to navigate through it. And if the Strike Squad had separated, it was because they were going after her and Dax. At least she hoped that they were if her friends were near.

"Quite deep in thought aren'tcha?" Pente said, spinning a knife lazily in his hand. She frowned, then folded her arms.

"Was there something you wanted?" she said with a glare. He shrugged, now testing the very tip of the blade with his finger.

"I bet you'd love to get outta here right?" he said. Jinja didn't respond, knowing it was probably a trick, "Well. I can easily let you pass by and leave right through the front door if you'd really like."

Jinja growled a bit, "Stop messing with me. If you're going to just come in here and be annoying, at least let me have my cores back to shut you up."

Pente burst into laughter.

"Oh I'm being serious! Besides, I'm not the one that has them," he said, "I'll go ahead and let you walk right out this room. Right now. No questions asked. There's just one little thing you have to do for me."

She frowned, and put a hand on her hip, "Let me guess. I have to go out and be bait for you guys to get Chase. Or that you're going to use my monsuno sight for whatever plan you have? Or- oh I know! Be part of whatever weird experiments that Klipse has going on."

"HA! You wish!" he snickered, "I didn't say anything about what the rest of them are planning. No. You have to do something for _me_."

He threw the blade down at her feet, making her quickly step back.

"It's a little bet I made once while imprisoned by the Hand of Destiny," he said, running a gloved hand through his hair, "Sort of a 'would you rather' game. And I'm pretty sure the other guy with you wouldn't be too interested in it. He doesn't seem... Considerate."

Jinja gulped, getting an uneasy feeling. There were a sounds of explosions outside that started to shake the windows.

"So. Here's the game," Pente said, slipping the blindfold down just enough to look out with his normal eye, "Would you rather lose your friends, or your fingers?"

HLP

When the blade had come close, there were only seconds to react. A gasp of pain and the sound of ripping cloth was the only sound heard.

The cloaked woman and the bookman both let out gasps, though he was more vocal about it.

She stood there, blades extended out as a tanned robe was caught on one, flecks of blood staining the other and the floor. But no sign of the two teens.

Beyal let out a sigh of relief, sitting back against the column they were currently hiding behind. He heard a wince, and looked over to see Kilo griping just below his shoulder.

"Ah. Your arm-"

"It's nothing," Kilo dismissed, gripping it tighter and looking around to the other three. Beyal gave a worried look before following suit.

"... Huh. I guess they have a few tricks up their sleeves," Duo said, taking the cloak off her blade. She stared at it for a moment before looking down at the small puddle of blood on the ground.

"Where did they go?" the bookman shouted, looking around, "You better hope they haven't gone far! Otherwise you'll be held accountable."

She blew strands of hair from her eyes.

"You know you can do something too instead of just stand there," she said. The man flinched.

"Er... I would. But who would look after out guest here?" The bookman stammered, tightening his grip around Bekka, who was silent. Duo rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. Like she's even fit to walk at the moment," she said, and started walking down towards the end of the room.

"Ah! Oh man..."

Beyal turned back to Kilo, who was now trying to wrap a quick bandage around the top of his arm, red staining it rather quickly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, knowing it was a bit redundant. Kilo let out a chuckle.

"It looks worse then it is," he said, sweat starting to build on his brow, "What about you? You alright?"

Beyal nodded, and looked around the column again, "Besides my favorite cloak, just fine."

The tall woman looked to the floor, trying to find a trace of where the two were. She started to walk away from where they were towards the far end of the room.

"... I know your in here," she said, "That was a nice trick. But I can still feel you here."

Beyal took a steady breath, then turned away. He was glad they were able to get away so fast, but obviously she was quicker. No doubt they'd lose in a battle against her, even with monsuno. Not to mention the bookman still lurking about.

Kilo watched the other for a second, trying to come up with a plan of his own. Beyal looked down at his core. Right now his only concern was trying to get Bekka to safety. They could worry about battling the other two later.

"... Alright. I think I got it," Kilo said, looking over to the bookman, "If you can do the same thing just now and get the civilian out of here, then I can disarm that guy. After that I'll spin out and take out the woman."

Beyal shook his head, "That would leave you vulnerable when she attacks. I cannot do that. I won't leave anyone behind." His gaze fell a bit, "And I don't think our monsuno will be able to stand a chance against her, even if you could spin out in time."

Kilo's brows raised in surprise. He let out a small laugh.

"I guess you're right," he said, "I suppose I ought to try and pull a few tricks of my own instead of a frontal attack."

He reached down into his belt, grabbing a few small black canisters. He motioned for Beyal to go after Bekka, and again he shook his head. Kilo gave him a look, and motioned towards her again.

Beyal was rather firm on staying near the injured teen, if only because of who their foes were. He looked back over to the woman, who was gazing about aimlessly. She still had his cloak in her hands, and was now ripping it in pieces with a rather bored look.

… He knew what they wanted. They needed him to do something for them (at least according to the bookman). Which meant if he could stall them long enough, then maybe he could help Bekka get to safety and make sure Kilo doesn't get injured again. He needed to take out Duo first, and there was one sure way of doing that and being able to guarantee their safety. And then they'd be able to take out the bookman easily.

"Kilo. I'm going to distract Duo," Beyal said, looking to the floor, "If the bookman tries something… Please take care of my sister."

He ran out from his hiding spot, hearing Kilo gasp as he did. He ran down the line of columns, hiding in the shadows and jumping out only when he was well away from the others. The woman had disappeared, but he knew she'd hear him. She would have to.

 _"I invoke-"_

Suddenly, someone pounced onto his back, and he was slammed to the ground. He saw stars for a brief moment and gasped as a crystal blade sank into the ground dangerously close to his face. He looked up to see Duo looming over him. Before he could even react, she shoved a piece of his cloak in his mouth until he nearly gagged.

"Ha! Nice try. But I'm not about to follow those stupid rules again!" she said with disgust. There was a sound of an impact, and they both looked other to see the bookman being kicked in the face, the knife and Bekka falling away from him. Kilo landed with a backflip, throwing one of those canisters into the air. A flurry of smoke came from inside, filling the area.

"Wha- Get over here woman!" the bookman shouted, before there was another impact and he groaned in pain again. Duo stayed there, keeping a knee on Beyal's back as she watched. She didn't seem to care at all about what was going on over there, and immediately looked back down at him. In a swift motion, she scooped him up under one arm, keeping his own pinned to his sides.

As the smoke quickly cleared, the bookman stood far from where he started, holding his stomach with a large bruise on his face already forming. Kilo stood a few feet away, guarding over Bekka. She was lying on the ground, and hadn't stirred at all (which was starting to worry Beyal). The bookman smirked grabbing a green and purple core. Kilo frowned, grabbing his own.

"Warwing!"

"Urrax!"

"Launch!"

The two cores went spinning towards each other. They clashed with a loud 'clink!'.

To the surprise of everyone, nothing happened. The bookman's core was still spinning on the ground, as if the monsuno inside was trying its hardest to get out. Warwing, however, was lying motionless.

The bookman stared, a look of disgust and horror starting to appear as his core finally stopped. Kilo didn't bother to linger on the cores, and immediately ran towards the old man again. The bookman saw, letting out a yelp as he stumbled backwards.

Beyal felt the arm around him tighten, and he looked up to see the woman frowning deeply. Her other hand produced a shard of crystal as Kilo jumped into the air for another kick. Beyal gasped, letting out a muffled shout.

They moved so fast that his vision started to spin the second they stopped. There was an impact, and he saw that Duo had blocked Kilo's kick. There was a flash of fear in Kilo's eyes for a brief second before his face hardened. He flipped back again, reaching for something on his belt again.

With one quick sweep of her arm, Duo shot out three shards at the teen.

Kilo let out a pained shout. One shard sliced his palm, cutting the canisters he had in half. The other two stuck out of his chest plate and shoulder. The smoke from the broken cases filled the air again before he even hit the ground.

The bookman stared for a second before letting out a laugh of relief that soon grew.

"Ha... Ha ha ha! Excellent!" he exclaimed, hearing Kilo gasping in pain somewhere in the cloud of smoke. The bookman ran over to the cores, scooping them both up with a toothy grin, "Alright. Let's finish them off!"

Without bothering to reply, Duo turned away and started heading for the far side of the room towards a dark corridor. Beyal continued to struggle to get out of her grasp, knowing that he had to help Kilo. His silhouette was visible in the smoke, but it was hard to tell if he was still moving. The bookman did a double take, realizing that Duo didn't acknowledge him.

"H-hey! Didn't you hear me?" he shrieked, casting one last glance towards the cloud before running over to follow, "We need to finish them off! We can't let them go free-"

"Except that wasn't the point of this," Duo said simply, easily pacing away as the bookman jogged along behind, "We have to open the door to the seal. Not toy with a bunch of women and children." She looked looked down at Beyal with a cold stare, "If you don't stop squirming, I'll chop off your arms and legs."

He stared up with wide eyes, immediately ceasing his actions. If she was willing to shoot at Kilo, then it was hard to tell what else she was capable of doing. At the thought of the other, the monk looked back. The smoke had cleared somewhat, allowing some visibility to the other teen. Kilo had pulled one of the shards out, now gasping and clutching his shoulder where it hit. He glared at the three moving further away, trying to get up into a sitting position. His face contorted in pain, hands flying up to the other shard in his chest.

Beyal's gaze went further, landing on his sister.

She hadn't moved. It was hard to tell if she was even breathing. It didn't look like Bekka got hurt. But it was hard to tell how long these people had been here at the temple. _Anything_ could've happened within that time. Hopefully, Kilo would try and get backup as soon as possible rather then run after them.

... If the other could get a hold of anyone, then the two of them would be safe. That's all that mattered right now. With those wounds, Kilo could hardly stand a chance against anyone. And they needed to help Bekka. Just knowing that was enough to calm Beyal down, but it was hardly a lot considering the dark corridors that they were in, the room and Kilo's pained moans getting further behind.

HLP

Jinja stood there, a slight ring in her ears from the chaos going on outside. She looked down at the blade sticking in the ground, then back up.

"You... You're joking right?"

Pente started chuckling, slipping the blindfold back up.

"It's really up to you," he said, starting to tap his foot on the ground, "I can see them outside right now. Through those monsuno I control. S.T.O.R.M's not doing too well. In fact, I'm pretty sure there's at least a dozen casualties. I think I even saw a little S.T.O.R.M. girl take a tumble down the mountain just a few minutes ago..."

Jinja gasped. Was he talking about Tango? But then again, he could be bluffing. No one could see through a blizzard that hard.

"... Yeah. I'm pretty sure I did," he continued thoughtfully, "I sensed her monsuno sight too. It's a shame really. It's stronger than your's. Well... It was."

"... You're lying," Jinja said, clenching her fists, "There's no way she'd go down. Tango's stronger than that-"

"It doesn't matter if she was or not. There's more monsuno energy flowing through my hands then _any_ of your monsuno. And speaking of hands, I think it's about time you pick up that blade and get to it."

Jinja took a step back, staring down at the knife. The steel glint enticingly in the lantern light. She exhaled slowly.

"And if I refuse?"

"Simple. I'll hunt down the remaining friends you have that possess monsuno sight," Pente shrugged, "I can sense them here in the temple. And easily find them thanks to that ability you all share. There's at least three, and judging by the strength, one is definitely Suno."

Jinja gasped. So they were here! But... Did that mean that Tango actually...

"But then again... He's actually necessary. So I guess there are two I have to hunt down!" he said gleefully, "... Unless of course. You'd rather lose two fingers."

Jinja grit her teeth. This was just a game for them! And it looked like they were all playing right into it. She needed to get out! She needed to help them!

Without hesitating she ripped the knife from the floor and threw it at him with all her strength. Within a flash, he slammed her to the floor, the knife hitting the doorway.

"Oh what a shame," he tutted, "I thought you'd be more fun than that. I guess I have to do it myself!"

Jinja snarled, trying to hook her hands around his arm and flip their positions. He grabbed her wrists, pinning them down. He brought her hand up and stared at it. She tried to pull it away, letting out a gasp when his grip tightened,

"Did you know, the joints of human fingers are like that of a carrot? If a person really wanted, they could easily chew right through it," he turned back to her, "Do you think we ought to test that?"

There was a sinking feeling in Jinja's gut, "Your insane!"

He started laughing again, "That's what Petros once said. It's kind of a wonder why they kept me alive for so long! But what do you think I should do? Otherwise, I'll go right downstairs where someone with monsuno sight is waiting. I'm sure they'll be more fun than you."

Jinja started to thrash again. Out of everyone, the only one she could think of that had monsuno sight was Beyal, and the last thing she wanted was to sick this psycho on him!

"You stay away from them!" she shouted. She finally got one of her wrists free, and twisted enough until he was thrown off. Her eyes fell on the open door. She jumped up and took one step before a hand shot out and grabbed her ankle. She was brought down to the floor again with a yelp.

"G-Get off!"

"Jinja!"

They both gasped, looking to the door. Footsteps were approaching fast, along with two voices. She recognized them immediately. Before she could call out, Jinja let out a pained yelp when a hand twisted in her hair.

"I guess they'll be the ones," Pente hissed into her ear. Her eyes widened. Before she could react, Alpha appeared in the doorway. There was a brief flash of confusion in his eyes that was soon replaced by rage.

"Get away from her!" he shouted, throwing a punch. Jinja heard the sound of fabric shifting, and then the room was filled with green light. Alpha stopped right in his tracks. The pain soon rang in Jinja's own ears, and she let out a moan. It stopped for a brief moment, and she felt the other get off her. He quickly went over to Alpha and punched him in the gut, making the teen drop to his knees.

"Oh that's a darn shame! You have the monsuno sight!" Pente said with a laugh, "It's actually kinda sad. I almost didn't catch it, it was so weak! But I guess it doesn't matter in the end."

Alpha looked up with frown. He reached for Tripwire's core, ready to spin out even in the small room. The light started again, and he was frozen. He let out another pained sound, dropping the core.

Jinja blinked through the spots in her vision. The pain had dulled down, and she could see why as Alpha let out another pained shout, thrashing on the floor.

"N-No. Stop!" she groaned. She tried getting to her hands and knees, finding her strength failing.

"You're sight isn't nearly as powerful as anyone's here. Not even close!" Pente said mockingly, "I guess it's easy to say you're not useful to us at all. Might as well get rid of you!"

Alpha let out a pained scream, eyes wide and unseeing. She had to stop him! She had to do something! She had to-

Suddenly, there was a flash of someone running into the room with a shout. They swung wide, bashing the gray-haired man straight in the head. He let out a grunt, falling to the floor with a loud thud.

The light quickly faded, and Jinja sighed in relief. As her vision cleared, she saw Bren standing there, the Core Tablet in his shaking hands. She blinked a few times, wondering if she had passed out and was now dreaming. Bren looked over to her, breathing nearly as hard as she was.

"W-Wow Bren," Jinja said breathlessly, "Didn't know... You had it in you."

He gave an awkward grin, "Oh. You know me… Stepping up when needed… I'm just glad Chase's dad made this thing as strong as it is."

Alpha let out a groan, and the two stumbled over to his side.

"Alpha? Can you hear me?" Jinja asked. He blinked a few times, staring up at the ceiling. She turned to Bren, "Let's get him up and out of here. We need to find the others."

Bren nodded, and the two grabbed Alpha's shoulders and got him to his feet. Jinja placed his arm over her shoulders, letting out a huff as her own vision blurred again. She looked down, and saw the gray-haired man still lying there. She let out a shiver. At least she wouldn't have to deal with him at the moment.

They slowly made their way out of the room. Jinja shut the door, wanting to put as much distance between that creep and the rest of them. As they traveled down the hall, a noise went off that made them all jump. Looking, they could see it was Alpha's communicator going off. Shakily, Alpha moved his arm away from Bren's shoulder and picked it up.

"Here," he rasped out.

" _Alpha! We need to get out of here!"_ Jinja recognized the voice as Bravo.

"What's wrong?"

There was hesitation on the other side, and the static sound put them on edge.

" _… C-Commander Trey is h-here. He's… A-And Tango…"_

Bren perked up, but soon grew worried as Bravo stopped. Alpha tightened his grip on the communicator.

"Bravo? Hey. What's going on? Bravo!"

There was no response, and the three were left staring down at the line as the whole temple shook once again.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: Thanks to Kathywood67, monsuno power, monsuno lover, TacticianLyra, Glowblades998, and ChasexJinjaForever for the reviews. We're actually getting to one of the moments in the story that I've been looking forward to ever since writing Obsession (along with another part coming up in another chapter). Don't worry, won't leave ya'll hanging.

Enjoy!

* * *

There was a flashing red light that fogged her vision every other second. It was all blurry, just darkness and red. There was also the sound of crackling and electricity, most likely a fire, as well as the howling of wind. After a minute of just lying there, her sight finally started to clear.

Looking towards the only source of warmth, she could see the fiery remains of a cloud hopper now lying all around. She raised her hand enough to brush the hair from her face, now curtaining on her shoulders. With a small moan, Tango slowly moved her body so that she was lying on her side, seeing nothing but snow. She shivered, realizing how cold she was and how little feeling she had in her fingers.

With a steady breath, she slowly turned over until she was on her stomach, leaning upward in an attempt to crawl. She could see Ironjaw's core lying a small distance away. The moment she moved, there was a sharp pain that shot through her left leg. She gasped, falling back down into the snow.

Chest heaving, Tango raised her head again. There was nothing but darkness and snow, the faint sound of a fight far away. That's right! The fight! She took a steadying breath, trying to make the whole world stop spinning.

The last thing she remembered was facing off against Medea (which honestly was a bad idea to do alone). Reinforcements showed up, and Trey was there, and then-

She shuddered. The scene of Commander Trey getting attacked replaying over and over again. Was he alright? Did someone manage to help him in time? Or was he...

She flipped over, now on her back. The pain in her leg wasn't as bad like this, but that could've also been the cold making everything numb. Her vision got blurry again, and it was getting harder and harder to stay awake. But she knew she couldn't pass out. She had to get up. She had to help Bravo and the others! She reached over her head, trying to get Ironjaw. Her fingertips glossed over the glass, but barely moved it at all.

She stared up at the sky, not even being able to see the stars. How far had she even fallen? How long was she even out...

Her breathing started to slow. The pain in her head was making it hard to do anything. She closed her eyes, trying to regain any sort of strength but failing with the feeling leaving her hands now. She stared blankly ahead, seeing a light appear from the clouds. Starting out as a small speck, and soon growing closer. Her mind started to go numb the closer it got.

 _This was it. At least she had gone out fighting, albeit in a rather dumb way._

"…"

 _No. Bravo would come down. He has deadfall. If he didn't... Face that monsuno man... Then he was probably on his way right now._

 _"..."_

 _Maybe it was all done with by now. Maybe the mission succeeded and they were all looking for her. Maybe Trey was alright, getting medical attention and laughing it up with the others. She could practically hear his voice lecturing her about getting caught in that wire so easily._

 _"..."_

 _Or maybe the worst happened. Maybe Trey wasn't alright. Maybe he was still lying in the snow, slowly bleeding out. What if Bravo was attacked after she fell. He was strong, but he couldn't take on a monster._

 _What if the others were attacked._

 _"…"_

 _What if they never even got to the temple._

 _"..."_

 _What if something happened to her team._

 _"…"_

 _... What if something happened to Bren._

 **"Tango!"**

 _She gasped, eyes shooting open. With regained strength, she quickly sat up. Without thinking, she got to her feet and immediately noticed two things. One, there wasn't anymore pain. Two, she was nowhere near the mountains. In fact, she wasn't even in the same region._

 _The wreckage of her home city was lying all around, with the green sky darkened and wind howling. Tango stared with large eyes. It looked exactly the same as before, feelings of nostalgia coming forth that were mixed with an emptying feeling in her heart._

 _She took a cautious step forward, looking all around. The silence made her nervous as she stepped on broken glass and metal that failed to make a sound._

 _There was a howl in the distance that made her jump. Tango looked towards the direction, noticing the broken machines and such left from the encounter with the Eklipse teen. She shivered, remembering that last time in detail. But... She couldn't really be here. Could she?_

 _"Jun."_

 _She gasped, turning around quickly to see a figure with a flowing white gown with equally flowing brown hair. Tango raised a brow, relief going through her body._

 _"Mrs... Suno?" she asked meekly. The woman shook her head._

 _"No. I'm afraid not," she said, "I only chose this familiar form, which I really shouldn't considering the monk also confused me for her as well when he was here."_

 _Tango tilted her head in confusion, but didn't run. If anything, this woman's presence was extremely comforting, especially given what happened on the cliff. A howl echoed in the distance again. She quickly turned, and saw a flash of white fur._

 _"I have a favor to ask you," the woman said, getting her attention, "Within a few seconds, a monsuno will be using your body as its own. Your soul will be cast aside temporarily. Take this time to calm your spirit."_

 _Tango took a breath. She wasn't sure what any of it meant, but it didn't sound encouraging. 'Mrs. Suno' saw this and tilted her head._

 _"Are you afraid?"_

 _Tango shook her head, "N-no. Just a little confused."_

 _The howling got closer, the pressure in the air building._

 _"So… Where are we? And what did you mean 'possess'?" Tango asked. The woman frowned, looking to the ground in thought._

 _"That... Is a difficult question," she responded, "This is a plane between worlds. Between humans, monsuno, spirits, and everything in between." She paused for a moment, waiting for a response. When Tango continued to stare and listen, she continued, "As for the monsuno possessing you. It is from the seal. In fact, I believe you have seen it before and fought along side it. You'll have to assist it once again."_

 _Tango couldn't help but give an intimidated frown. All of this was flying over her head, and this woman wasn't making it easy to take in the information. 'Mrs. Suno' saw this, letting out a sigh._

 _"... It had a body at one point, but was reduced to a spirit by those people a few months ago," the woman said, now having a disdainful expression, "It's been calling to you. Have you not heard it?"_

 _Again, Tango shook her head._

 _"That is alright. Everything will become clearer," she said, closing her eyes, "Take a breath. Let your soul be calm. Try not to let your spirit waiver, and you will be able to save your friends and the monsuno."_

 _Tango grimaced. That's right. Everyone was still out there fighting. And even though she still had no idea where she was, she needed to get back to them. She needed to do something!_

 _The woman smiled gently, her eyes still closed as the air shifted all around them. Tango shielded her eyes as a flash of blue came from the sky. Looking up, she could see the image of a flying monsuno._

 _It looked like Bren's, only different... It didn't have the red accents, and seemed a bit incomplete in her opinion._

 _She let out a gasp, feeling something land close behind her, casting a cold wind into the air. She ignored it, realizing why the monsuno before her was familiar._

 _"... Quickforce?"_

 _The monsuno let out a cry, dissolving into a flash of blue as a flurry of light surrounded them. Tango shielded her eyes, briefly getting a glimpse of 'Mrs. Suno._

 _"What will you do, Jun?" she asked, slowly clasping her hands together, "Will you help us?"_

 _Tango inhaled sharply, and looked to where she had seen Bren's monsuno. She had heard of the sacrifice that it made to save him and his friends, and knew that this wasn't an illusion or hallucination. It was really here! And that could only mean one thing..._

 _Looking to the woman, her eyes flashed with determination, "Alright. I'll do it!"_

 _The energy in the air picked up, nearly knocking Tango off her feet._

 _"H-Hold on! I need to know one last thing! Who are you really?!" she exclaimed over the energy and the wind. The woman slowly opened her eyes, which were a beautiful mixture of colors. Her mouth moved, but was barely over a whisper. Tango let out a gasp, hearing her words as if she were telling them straight into her ears._

 _"I am a bit of everyone and everything, including you and monsuno. I am the guardian of this world. I am monsuno."_

 _There was a loud pop in the air before Tango suddenly felt her body fall under its own weight. The image of blazing white eyes staring down at her was burned into her vision, and then everything was quiet once more._

HLP

"Locke! Power harness!"

The two monsuno charged at each other, grappling as they clashed mid air. Locke let out a roar, slamming its paw into Serno's face and into the ground. The bony lizard let out an angry hiss as it was thrown down. For the most part, Chase was winning.

It should've been an easy win by this point, but for some reason, Chase found himself being hesitant. And for good reason. He hadn't actually battled in a long time, having horrid visions of _her_ every time he held a core.

"Serno, Bone Bayonet"

Chase gripped onto Locke's core. He felt his connection to his monsuno, and it left him feeling whole. But still, there was a part of him that was holding back. If only because he was reminded of what happened in the past few days. Was he rushing into this too soon? What if he pushed himself too hard again?...

He shook his head. No. It was different. He had managed to call out Locke, and was now wiping the floor with Six's monsuno. There was nothing to be afraid of!

 _She_ was gone after all.

"Locke, inner shine!"

With a roar, Locke let out a beam of light that shot straight into the red monsuno. Six didn't even bother to give it a command as it was struck down. Chase frowned. Something was wrong. The guy wasn't even bothering to say anything witty or respond at all. In fact, it looked like he wanted to head for the nearest exit as soon as possible.

'Maybe he just knows how bad he was losing?' Chase thought. He shook his head, knowing that he needed to get to that staircase and find Jinja and Dax. He would worry about Six later. He just needed to end this fight and make him show the way. Serno let out another snarl as it laid out on the floor, injured.

"Finish it!" Chase shouted. Locke let out a grunt, jumping onto the other and making it retreat into its core. Six frowned, holding it out as red sparks dashed in the air. Locke growled at the teen, eyes flaring brightly.

"Woah there!" Chase said, holding out his core to call it back. No response, "L-Locke! Return!"

The monsuno let out a roar. It turned to Chase, an unfamiliar gaze piercing through him. Chase took a step back as a shiver went through his body. Those eyes...

"Suno!"

He blinked quickly, hearing X-Ray calling out to him. Once again, Chase held out Locke's core. The monsuno continued to eye him wearily before finally going back inside. The satisfying 'pop' rang throughout, but Chase couldn't held but feel uneasy. Why would Locke...

"Get back here!" X-Ray shouted. Chase snapped out of his daze in time to see Six run off towards another hall and away from the stairs. He heard X-Ray sigh loudly, looking between the two.

"Great. Now we lost him," X-Ray grumbled, "Now we have to go find him before- Hey!"

Chase immediately ran for the stairs, not bothering to respond at all to the other. If what Six said before their battle was true, then Jinja and Dax must've been down here somewhere. Once he got to the bottom, he looked all around, seeing the different corridors that went in every other direction.

"Hold on Suno!" X-Ray panted, "We need to go back there and detain that guy!"

Chase frowned, "You're forgetting that he told us where everyone is at. He already said that Jinja and Dax are down here, which means that there's a good chance that Alpha and Bren are down here as well."

X-Ray opened his mouth to say something, but then clicked it shut. At the mention of his leader, there was no way the teen was going to argue.

"Besides. Six is pretty harmless in my opinion. Didn't you just see how bad I beat him?" Chase boasted, looking towards the halls to find some sort of sign.

"Uh. I think you're remembering it wrong Suno. You looked like you were ready to throw your guts up just a few seconds ago," X-Ray said, now tapping at the screen on his wrist, "But I'll admit there does look like a S.T.O.R.M. tracker is down here- probably Alpha. But it looks like the bomb isn't. We'll have to try another floor..."

The smaller teen led the way back towards the staircase. Chase couldn't help but frown at his comment. Did it really look like he was struggling? It didn't feel that way in the beginning. But then again, just that small battle felt like a huge blur, despite it being just a few minutes ago...

As he took a step towards the other, he let out a gasp.

Looking down the hall right behind them, he realized that there was something familiar pulling him in that direction. It took him a minute, but he remembered where it was from, the memories coming back in a dizzying array.

The desert.

The ruins.

The original monsuno.

Chase took a quick step back, putting everything together as the images flashed in his vision. That's why the Hand of Destiny was in the temple. There was a seal somewhere down here! As if agreeing, Locke's core shook briefly in his hand.

"… What? What is it?" X-Ray asked, looking down the darkened corridor as well.

"This way!" Chase shouted, charging forward.

"H-hey! Hold on a second!" X-Ray shouted, running after him. Chase quickened his pace, a rush of energy suddenly going through him. It was probably his monsuno sight slowly coming back, no longer affected by Tesserah. It made him feel better, so much so that he couldn't help but wonder why he was so worried when facing Six-

Chase suddenly stopped, nearly making X-Ray run into him.

"What? What is it?" the brown-haired teen asked, looking past in case someone was ahead.

"... Do you feel that?" Chase whispered, looking around. There was a shift, and he could almost _hear_ someone. He shuddered, X-Ray raising a brow. Before he could respond, there was a moan ahead that made them jump. They both waited, hearing slow footsteps getting further away. X-Ray was the one who reacted this time, and took a step backwards.

"Hold on," Chase said, grabbing his arm, "I think we should keep going."

" _What?_ "

"Hear me out," Chase continued, "There's only one direction we can head in at this point, and who's to say the others aren't ahead?"

"Oh I don't know... Maybe the map that I have!" X-Ray whispered hysterically, waving his arm as emphasis, "There may be someone up ahead, but that wasn't out job! We need to hurry and disarm the bomb that guy was just talking about. With all that monsuno energy missing it has to be something big, and I don't wanna be around when it goes off!"

Chase frowned, then started to walk down the hall without the other. He had a feeling about this direction that was absolute. And even with X-Ray being as skittish as he was, Chase wasn't about to ignore it. Especially now that his monsuno sight was coming back.

X-Ray groaned, and followed along. He probably thought that Chase was being difficult, but using a decisive plan wasn't how he usually operated. Mostly everything Chase did was played by ear. Having a plan to follow was something he and his team didn't do (if only because they never usually worked).

The two continued down the hall, passing by torches for what felt like forever. The moaning had stopped, as did the footsteps. Perhaps it was Six, and he had gotten injured when running. But that didn't seem likely. The sound of the communicator made the two jump, X-Ray quickly silencing and looking down at it. Chase shook his head, and continued to lead them down the hall.

As a room came into view. Chase suddenly stopped again, and this time X-Ray did walk into him. Chase managed to correct himself in time, letting out a yelp as he gripped some of the wall. He turned to give X-Ray a look. The other teen glared like he was about to get mad when his face suddenly paled. Chase followed his eyes to see two people slumped against a nearby column. On closer inspection, he could see that it was Kilo and, surprisingly, Bekka from the Desert Wolves. X-Ray didn't hesitate to run over to his teammate.

"Kilo! What happened?" he exclaimed, sliding to his knees. Chase ran over as well, but decided to check on the mute woman. She was breathing, but had a pained expression as she shifted in her sleep (or at least that's what Chase thought it was). Kilo exhaled slowly, his left hand griping his shoulder while a balled up bandage was clutched in the other.

"Ambush. That's what," he breathed out. The bleeding had stopped, but Chase could see the trail of blood that went further into the room, and figured he had somehow managed to stumble or crawl this far. How was Kilo not passed out right now? And did he get all the way over here with Bekka?

"We had... There was this old man," Kilo said slowly, eyes staring ahead, "He had that civilian, and then the tall woman from Axistown showed up..." his gaze fell down to his balled up hand, "And my monsuno..."

"Um... Can you slow down a bit more," Chase asked, trying to piece together what happened, "And... Wasn't Beyal with you?"

Kilo glared tiredly at the teen, "I was getting to that... I had gotten the civilian away, but when I..."

He trailed off, eyes getting unfocused. X-Ray saw this and immediately started slapping his face.

"H-Hold on there! You have to stay awake," he said. Kilo blinked unsteadily a few times, trying to nod.

"Well? What happened? Where's Beyal? And who's the old man you were talking about?" Chase asked. X-Ray glared at the other's impatience. Kilo took deep breaths, slowly raising his hand to the other side of the room. The two noticed a darkened hall. But there was something in the room that made Chase gasp, get up, and run over. He heard X-Ray let out a sound of protest, but ignored it as he bent down and picked up a piece of torn cloth. He instantly recognized it as Beyal's cloak, strips now littering the floor.

He felt his heart drop. If Kilo had been hurt that bad, then did that mean...

"... Old man. The woman," Kilo groaned, getting their attention again, "There's a door... They needed..."

Kilo's suddenly swayed, and started falling over. X-Ray saw and grabbed his teammate. Chase ran over, also grabbing Kilo's shoulders.

"Oi! Kilo! Wake up! What did they do to Beyal? Hey!"

"Knock it off Suno," X-Ray hissed, pushing the other away and lowering his teammate to the floor, "It's obvious what happened. They went down that way, probably to alert everyone else that we're here or something. That way only leads down after all."

Chase bit his lip, glaring at the ground. Both Jinja and Dax had been caught, and now Beyal. Thinking back to Axistown, the Hand of Destiny had probably been planning on taking his friends from the start, and his thoughts started going to Bren. Sure he was with Alpha, but at the same time these people easily took the red-haired teen out a few hours ago.

Chase stood up, walking over to the hall that Kilo pointed at. As much as he wanted to run off and find Bren, he had no clue how to find him (and X-Ray would probably care too much about the mission to help), which left one other option: Go after Beyal and possibly find the others.

"Hold it Suno!" X-Ray shouted, quickly getting in front of him, "Don't think you're running off now! We need to think about the rest of the mission-"

"Screw that!" Chase exclaimed, "We can't think about that right now! They have Dax and Jinja and now they have Beyal! And you said it yourself that it's the only way down. Which means Jinja and Dax might be down there."

"You don't know that!" X-Ray shouted, "For all we know your friends are already-"

Chase ran up to the other and grabbed him by his collar. X-Ray let out a panicked squeak.

"What? That they're already gone?!" Chase hissed, grip tightening. He tried forcing the thoughts of his three friends being in similar states as Kilo, if not worse. That was the last thing he wanted to think of, especially knowing that his decisions were what led up to this point.

"N-no! I was going to say that they're already safe!" X-Ray shouted, getting himself out of Chase's grip. The black-haired teen's eyes widened a bit in surprise. X-Ray let out a sigh.

"Seriously. Don't you have any faith in us at all?" he asked, then held up his screen again,"Alpha just sent a message out saying that he found the other two. You may not like us, but you have to realize we've been trained for this. This is what we live for!"

Chase stood there, almost going into shock from the other's outburst. X-Ray noticed, and a flush went across his nose in embarrassment.

"I-I mean... We're all a team now. And I'm sure that your friends can handle themselves. They managed to hold their own against us one on one after all," he said, voice starting to go quiet. Chase didn't say anything, and stared down at the floor with a serious expression. He really didn't like the thought of working with the Strike Squad, but he had never realized how resistant he was. And for no reason! Sure Charlemagne had formed the team as their opposites, but within the past few months, there were clear similarities that they had. Otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered to even help...

As Chase looked up to say something, X-Ray suddenly froze. Before he could ask what was wrong, there was a rush of energy that went through his whole being. Flashing images flooded his vision, and were gone before he could even process them all. Chase gasped, nearly falling over. X-Ray must've had the same happen, as he actually ended up dropping to his hands and knees.

That dizzying feeling made him want to pass out, but at the same time something like that wasn't a good sign. If anything, it made him aware of the situation once again. That was his monsuno sight reacting, and something was going on in the temple for him to feel it so strongly.

Slowly rising, Chase turned back to the darkened hall that Kilo had pointed towards. The feelings were starting to get stronger from just staring in the direction. In response, he felt the cores on his belt shake.

"Go back and find Alpha," Chase said, "We found the energy, and we know what Klipse is planning. Try and find the bomb and disarm it."

"Woah woah woah! Just because I said we're a team, doesn't mean I'm about to take orders from you," X-Ray argued, "Besides, what're you even planning on doing?"

Chase walked up to him, clapping a hand on the other's shoulder.

"You felt that just now right? It had to do with the monsuno sight," Chase said, then looked to the stairwell, "Whatever's down there has to do with monsuno energy. We can't let them get to it."

"And besides," he continued, looking over to the other two, "We can't just leave those two here. If anything, I'm trusting you to get them out."

X-Ray clearly didn't want to take those orders. If anything, he looked like he was about to drag Chase out of there like a good soldier. But, there was also something that flashed in his eyes as he looked down the corridor to the stairs leading down.

"X-Ray… Let him go. He's just going to run off anyway..."

The two looked back to see Kilo slowly getting back to his feet. His expression was worn and tired, and he clearly shouldn't have been standing at all.

"You… Need to stop them," he rasped out, "There's something wrong down here… Monsuno cores don't work… They're after some sort of power… Which is why they..."

The two waited as Kilo caught his breath, slowly getting back down to his knees. X-Ray ran over, hesitating for just a second as he watched Chase.

The raven-haired teen looked between them and Bekka, and then to the room. They had only arrived at the temple a short while ago, and yet so much damage had already been done down here… He wasn't sure if what Kilo said was from something he had overheard or was getting delusional, but he did agree with one thing. The Hand of Destiny needed to be stopped!

Without another word, he turned and charged down the hallway.

He tried keeping his steps quiet, but with how damaged and worn the path was, that was difficult. Every other step made the stones below his feet crumble away. At least if the path forked he would have a clear direction of where they had gone (although that was unlikely based on what X-Ray told him). Chase half wanted to call out and see if Beyal would respond, but at the same time he knew how stupid that would be. No doubt they probably heard him and X-Ray shouting earlier. If anything, he just needed to keep going and hope that he wouldn't be too late to stop whatever plan they had.

HLP

The blizzard roared across the blazing banks of snow and metal that was now the temple courtyard. It was a real shame that the soldiers of S.T.O.R.M. weren't putting up much of a fight. Sure they were firing at the monsuno, and had managed to get the mercenary woman and her men cornered for a bit, but as soon as he showed up, everything was in chaos.

Triah stood there, watching over as soldiers ran to help those who were injured or tried fighting against the four purple monsuno in the snow. It was a losing fight. Even after trying to subdue the beasts, they would roar up with new found energy and lash out with a vengeance.

There did seem to be one person who was going to help take them out, but he was currently lying in the snow bleeding out. His monsuno - the winged black and yellow one- was currently flying around without any aim. Without a doubt it had no idea of what to do with its controller incapacitated. The core lied nearby, glowing faintly like the monsuno's energy.

He let out a sigh. He just wanted to be done with this, but they couldn't stop now. That wasn't even an option for him. He needed that cure to finally be normal again...

"Oh my! This battle has taken quite a toll!"

He turned to see the mercenary woman walked up next to him, her red core sparkling between her fingers. Her monsuno was called back as soon as Triah showed up, but understandably so. The purple monsuno had easily subdued the ones from S.T.O.R.M., and were now concerning themselves with the actual soldiers. Even her men were now watching and calling back their monsuno rather then engaging.

"I suppose we ought to finish them off," she sighed, "And I so hoped that Suno was going to arrive. I was looking forwards to crushing him!"

"Suno _is_ here. He's already inside," Triah said, crossing his arms. At least that's what he assumed. Those two children from before were no doubt some sort of distraction. It was amusing to watch them try and fight both the mercenaries and the monsuno, but obviously it was a losing battle.

Madea raised a brow before letting out a chuckle, "Oh ho ho! I didn't know that! I bet if I hurried I could reach him in time!"

A roar suddenly rang through the air. The two looked towards the snow banks where the purple monsuno suddenly lost interest. Despite that, the soldiers continued to run and shout out orders to each other. Even as the monsuno started to relax and become more tame, S.T.O.R.M. was still having trouble getting through all the fire and destruction. The monsuno man watched as two of the purple monsuno started battling each other. It was obvious that Pente's control over them was gone.

"Great. He's either taking a nap or ran off," Triah sighed. Just what he needed, more work. Madea raised a brow as he took a few steps towards the temple when they heard someone behind them. Turning, Triah saw that it was another soldier, except his suit was white. The blonde let out a sneeze, quickly trying to cover it up and glared openly.

"What are you doing?" the monsuno man frowned. The kid was trembling hard, easily seen by the way he was holding his monsuno's core. From his expression, someone would think that he was shaking with anger (especially considering the amount of damage the army was suffering from), but there was hesitance in that gaze. He was trembling from fear.

"I think he wants to fight," Madea said, her lips twisting into a smirk. No doubt her lust for battle was coming forward. Triah let out a huff, motioning her to go away.

"Look boy, I'm gonna assume you're not the brightest out of the bunch, but you should know better then to try and challenge me. Especially after I sliced up your commanding officer," he said. The blonde teen gulped, clearly trying to build his nerve back up. Madea watched the two, hiding her smile behind her hand.

"... That's why I have to face you," the teen said slowly, eyes wide as he looked to the ground, "You hurt Commander Trey. And because of you Tango..."

The blonde bowed his head, gritting his teeth tightly. Madea tapped the side of her face in thought.

"… Oh! You're talking about the little soldier girl aren't you?" she said, "My my. Quite the noble hero you are, thinking you could avenge her. But you ought to use your common sense and run while you can. My Poisonwing will gladly eat you up!"

The teen took a cautious step back, then raised his fists as if he was going to fight. Triah took one step towards him, seeing fear flashing in the teen's eyes at the small motion. But at the same time, the monsuno man could remember what Duo had once told him about fighting someone weaker. He hesitated.

"… I can easily rip you apart," Triah said. Bravo took a step backward, but then stepped forward again. He was being serious with wanting to face him. Go figure.

He cracked his shoulder a little. If anything, he could give the kid a small scratch like that girl and make him run for his life in fear.

"Mercenary. You might want to step back," he said. Madea raised a brow, then shrugged lightly. An unsatisfied look was on her face as she sauntered away towards the rest of her crew, obviously more concerned with Suno.

In a flash, Triah circled around the teen and swiped upward against his back. The teen let out a gasp of pain as two claws ripped into his suit. He fell forward, cringing as blood quickly stained his back.

"Now that was just a warning boy," Triah said, "If you really think you can face me, then get back up. Otherwise, you better run for the hills to live another day."

The blonde shakily got to his hands and knees, letting out moans of pain as he did. Looking up with a glare, he shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere!" he groaned, grip tightening on the core in his hand. There was a short cry, and Triah looked up to see a flying yellow dragon swoop down towards them. He braced himself as it crashed into his body.

"I won't stop here! Not after what you did to Tango and Commander Trey!" the teen shouted, getting back to his feet, "Deadfall, elemental blaze!"

The dragon surged up from the ground, its jowls opening wide. There was a brief light before it launched a beam down. Triah jumped out of the way and punched its jaw. They both landed in the snow, Deadfall letting out a pained hiss. Before either of them could start attacking, an alarm blared from above. Looking up, they could all see more S.T.O.R.M. cloud hoppers appear and land towards the outside of the field. More soldiers jumped out and started to go towards the purple monsuno that were loafing about.

"Bravo!"

The teen looked over to see a tall man in an official uniform run to his side. "We got Trey's signal! Where is he?"

The blonde teen didn't respond, a bit shell-shocked. Someone else stepped out of the ship, looking around and setting their gaze on the temple. A small screen beeped in their hands as they moved toward it. Triah instantly recognized that black hair. The Hand of Destiny always spoke of him. They always said that he was necessary for the experiments, and that he was one of the father's of monsuno. The one who ruined everything. _Jeredy Suno!_

He surged towards the doctor with a roar, ready to tear apart the man that ruined his life.

Someone stepped in the way, and blocked his arm from clawing out Jeredy's chest like that Commander. Wide-eyed, the doctor looked to his savior with a gasp. It was the man in the uniform: the commandant.

Green flashed in Jon's eyes as he threw Triah from the two with unnatural strength. Immediately, the monsuno man could tell what was up as the other clutched his chest.

"Jon! What's the matter?" Jeredy asked, going to his side. The commandant shook his head, looking up.

"N-Nothing! Hurry up and get to the temple! You need to disable whatever made that signal that you picked up on the ship!"

Jeredy stayed back for a second, but nodded in the end. He grabbed a large metal case from the cloud hopper before running towards the temple. Triah growled low, and surged towards him. Again, the commandant stepped in the way with a grunt.

"Why are you defending him?" Triah snarled, "He's the one who caused everything! And he's the one that made us the way we are!"

Jon inhaled sharply, then changed his stance, "No. He's the one who's helping everything! And he's the only one who can!"

The commandant let out a shout as he threw a punch, Triah grabbed his fist and threw him aside like nothing. Jon was surprisingly quick, as he got back to his feet and grabbed a core. As soon as his fingers touched, however, he let out a gasp and dropped it. His hands clenched his head, and fell to his knees.

"Commandant!" Bravo exclaimed, running towards him. Jon let out a gasp, his eyes glowing unnaturally green as his figure started to distort. Triah let out a small laugh. Now he was getting serious.

"About time!" he said with a smirk, "I was beginning to think you'd never show that form and make this interesting, hybrid!"

The commandant quickly morphed completely, his features now disgustingly different. His eyes went red for a second before letting out a roar. The blond teen fell backwards, eyes wide in surprise. Triah didn't waste any time on battling, and went for a wide kick.

Jon caught his leg with one elongated arm. Teeth bared, he roared as his arm whipped down, slamming the other into the snow. He released a shockwave into the ground, kicking up dust and snow into the air. Triah leapt up and out of the way, watching as the wave hit the snowbanks.

He didn't hesitate to inhale and let out a beam from his own mouth. It burned his throat as it hit the commandant full on, making him get thrown back. Triah didn't let up either until the other was writhing on the ground in pain. Taking a breath, the monsuno man panted as the commandant struggled to rise, but quickly failed. His form started to lose its shape, nearly reverting back into his original form.

"Was that really the best you could do hybrid?" Triah roared hoarsely, "You're out of your league if you think that would stop me-"

The wind suddenly died down, snow now falling gently. The monsuno man halted in his tracks, noticing the change in the air. A faint light came from the distant cliffside. He and the blonde teen turned towards it, seeing a figure coming closer as it got brighter.

Triah recognized this feeling of nostalgia immediately from the ruins, as well as a fight he had weeks ago, as the figure came into view. The form may have been different, but the spirit was the same.

It was one of the original monsuno.

And just like last time, it was in one of those children.

"T-Tango?" Bravo said almost silently, eyes widened as the girl continued to walk towards them. There was a crackling white aura around her as she set her glowing gaze upon the monsuno man while her hair danced in the wind. The blizzard picked up suddenly, snow and ice now tossing violently as gusts blew the blonde backwards. Triah stood his ground, trying to see as she raised a hand to him. And with a booming voice that was barely her own, she let out a deafening command as a white light shot out.

 ** _"You are not welcome here!"_**

HLP

 _There was nothing here in the dark. Only his own thoughts._

 _And what good were those._

 _Just constant reminders of how horrible the day had been._

 _He could've settled everything. He could've finally moved on. He was going to fight back with his all._

 _But he was weak._

 _And the other was stronger. Just like last time, and when they were kids back in the lowlands..._

 _But that would change._

 _With this new power that he felt coursing through his veins. He would be able to settle the score. He would be able to show him pain. Show him horror. Show him the fear and helpless that he had felt for years of being stuck in those mines._

 _He would shatter his monsuno! He would crush them to dust! He would watch his brother's face as he took them away! Who even needed monsuno?_

 _Then he'd go after his new friends. Those replacements! Those worthless beings!_

 _He rip everything away! Everything that was important!_

 _He was going to make Dax suffer, and only then Spike would be satisfied._

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: Thanks to Kathwood67, ChasexJinjaForever, TacticianLyra, monsunopower, Glowblade998, and monsunolover for the reviews! We're down to the last few chapters now! Though there's still a lot more coming up.

Sorry for the wait! We lost the file for this chapter and had to start from scratch.

Enjoy!

* * *

"-And by the third month, I met a young lad from the lowlands. He had been there a lot longer than I. You could see it from the way he was used to the darkness, but that could've also been because of where he grew up..."

The three had traveled far down the winding corridors and stairs rather quickly. Or at least it felt like they had. Being blindfolded and carried along made it hard to judge exactly where they were heading. But there was one thing that helped Beyal figure out where they were, and that was the temperature. The further they went, the colder it got, which meant they were going down into the lower levels.

He couldn't remember what was this far within the temple, but there was an increase of the energy in the air. Wherever they were heading had to do with monsuno, and that just meant bad news.

"-of course they were always getting mad at everyone, especially the Keepers," Duo continued speaking. She and the bookman had started chatting a while ago, obviously bothered by the silence that stretched along. Admittedly, it sounded like she was dictating rather then talking directly to the bookman, often ignoring his questions or interrupting what he had to say.

"We thought about coming up with a plan of escape, but then..."

She trailed off, and suddenly came to a stop. Beyal could feel her shake, but it was hard to tell from what. He tried to shift his hand towards his belt. They hadn't taken his cores yet, which meant that there was a good chance of escape...

"... Well? What happened?" the bookman asked. She didn't respond, and continued to walk along, quicker this time.

"Hurry up old man," she said, "We're being followed."

The bookman let out a groan, his footsteps coming after them. He seemed to have a hard time following, as his breathing got heavier.

"L-Let's stop for a minute," he panted out, "I'm sure we could-"

"I told you we're not supposed to linger," she snapped, "The last thing we need is for Suno to come along and _not_ have that wretched door open."

Beyal perked up. A door. He didn't remember any particular door that was important in the temple. Of course, there were tons of secrets that were kept for the sake of monsuno. But what type of thing could they want that was here? It wasn't the knowledge of the Five Tribes, since that was in the library...

Dismissing that thought, he decided that getting free was the best option at the moment. He could ask questions later. Slowly, he managed to grab a hold of Glowblade's core. When his fingertips touched, however, a flash of images crossed his vision.

 _The temple._

 _Monsuno._

 _Blue, red, and yellow flashes mixing into one._

 _People shouting._

 _Familiar faces blending into each other._

 _A man with brown hair._

 _Jinja._

 _Alpha._

 _A one-eyed man._

 _Bren._

 _Tango._

 _A half monsuno._

 _Commander Trey._

 _Charlemagne._

 _A boy with black hair._

 _Dax._

 _Jeredy Suno._

 _Sophia Suno._

 _Chase._

 _Locke_

 _Blinding light..._

Everything came so fast and dizzying that he would've fallen over if he were standing. As the visions started to slow, he tried not to move too fast. He could barely process anything as the images quickly faded and left him in darkness. That wasn't quite like a normal vision. It was faces and feelings that were contorted all together. What was...

"Hey. Wake up!"

The blindfold fell away without warning, and Beyal clenched his eyes shut at the torch light. He slowly blinked, and let out a muffled gasp at seeing a large door at the end of the room. It wasn't familiar at all, and he couldn't help but wonder what it was doing here in the temple. But it was obvious that was the door the two were talking about.

"I'm going to put you down now," Duo said, "But know if you try to run, I'll slice through your legs faster then I did that other boy. And if you say something other then what we want, I'll still slice through your legs."

He nodded, knowing that was no empty threat. She took the cloth from his mouth and set him down. He rubbed his cheek, trying to get the soreness out of his jaw. She didn't wait, immediately taking his wrist and leading the way.

He didn't have time to think about his visions as they walked forward in silence, especially with the bookman lurking in the back, as if asking Beyal to make a move. When he glanced back for a brief moment, he could've sworn there was a flash of silver metal in the old man's hand.

"... At least this will all be over," the woman sighed, "And once we get inside, this dreadful place can finally be destroyed."

Beyal froze, his feet stumbling for a second as she halted for him. They were going to do _what_ to the temple _?_ He knew that there would be destruction from the incoming battle, that tend to happen at all the ancient locations they would go to. But for the temple- his home- to be destroyed...

"You should be glad that this place will be gone," Duo said to him, going back to tugging him along, "It's nothing but a bunch of old relics that were kept by even older men. At least you can still get something out of your life instead of wasting away in these godforsaken walls."

The ceiling shook above them, making some dust fall down towards them. The woman stopped a few feet away from the door, gazing up again with a frown. She let go, and Beyal rubbed his hands up his arms, getting a chill without his cloak.

"While I can't read all of it, this obviously requires something for it to open," she said gazing down, "So... What is it?"

Beyal bit his lip, and looked up at the writing that stretched from the inside beyond the outer edge. Even thought the door looked like it could turn to dust from a single touch, the writing looked like it was just done a few hours ago. He took a few small steps forward, silently translating it.

The more he did, the more anxious he got. This language was something that he barely remembered, only once getting a lesson on it. It wasn't like the writing in any of the other ruins or locations dealing with the Five Tribes either. It was a combination of the ancient languages used within the temple, but with a malicious message.

His eyes moved faster over the writing. Pure monsuno power was just beyond. But to gain it...

He lowered his gaze, unable to read any more of that horrible writing. How. How could something like this be here in the temple? Why would anyone put this here?

"What's the hold up?" The bookman barked. Beyal jumped, remembering the other two behind him.

That's right. The bookman was trying to find the temple and the rest of the monks years ago. If there was something down here that was monsuno related, of course Master Ey would want it to be blocked. But still. Going to an extreme like this...

He couldn't do it. Even if he was threatened, there was no way he could go through with the requirement.

"... I can't open it," he said quietly, now looking to the ground.

"Eh?"

"I can't open it," he said, turning to the two, "It required... Sacrifice."

The two gave him a blank look. He let out a sigh.

"It needs life essence. Something that shows proof of the price of a life that is willing to go inside."

The bookman shrugged, "Alright. Easy enough. We have a bunch of monsuno essence upstairs. I'm sure a few vials will get us through."

Beyal shook his head sadly.

"No. Not monsuno essence. Human essence," he said, still looking to the ground. He clenched his fists, saddened to see such a barrier down here in the temple.

"It needs... Blood."

HLP

"Spike!"

Dax ran into the room without much care for himself. He had seen the old man from Klipse, but that hardly mattered at the moment. Not with Spike in danger! Hargrave grabbed his strike launcher, but Dax wasn't afraid. He already knew the monsuno wouldn't work down here. Which was why he charged forward without any hesitance even as the old man pulled the trigger.

The core zipped past him, and Hargrave gave a surprised look as the teen jumped right over him. He kicked backward at the old man for good measure, hearing him land with a grunt. Dax turned to see both Hargrave and his core lying on the ground now.

He ran to the control panel, faintly seeing Spike's silhouette in the tank. He knew what experiments that Klipse had planned on using for himself, so of course he'd try it now that he had another subject. And someone who was willing!

As he typed away and started pushing random buttons, Dax knew that was the truth. He had seen Spike's expression in Axistown. After that battle he looked so empty and lost... And he knew that look meant that Spike was willing to give up on everything. He had that look when they first met, and it took weeks to get the other to smile. And even longer for him to open up.

"Don't worry! I'll get you outta there!" Dax grunted as he started pulling assorted wires out. He hoped that one of them would trigger the door, or at least get the monsuno essence drained from the tank. After a few more, an alarm went off.

A red light flashed, and suddenly, the glass door swung open from the tank. Dax jumped back with a yelp as the water and monsuno essence spilt out. It drained out into the room, barely missing the old man as he stumbled back to his feet. He let out a gasp.

Dax raised a brow, but heard a groan behind him that got his attention. He saw Spike's figure getting up to his hands and knees, and he took a step inside.

"Spike! Are you okay?" Dax asked, hovering his hands close just in case, "I came here as soon as I got out I-"

The wind was knocked right out of him as a fist collided into his gut. He let out a gasp, thrown back some distance. He rolled to his side, wincing at the pain. The old man saw, and took out a communicator.

"Sir. I'm afraid your experiment has been compromised!" he said, "Come down to the eastern corridor as fast as you can!"

The old man ran over to his core on the ground, scooping it up and looking down at it to see what was wrong. Turning back to the tank, Dax saw Spike slowly get up to his feet, slumping forward. He let out a moan, taking a step, then another, nearly falling over as he gripped onto the sides of the glass.

Even in the faint light, Dax could see the other's figure shifting and changing, as if there was something crawling under his skin. Spike exhaled a few times, reaching a hand out.

" **... Dax,"** Spike said slowly, voice hoarse and low.

The lowlander stayed still, trying not to let his gaze waiver, "... Yes?"

Spike shifted from one foot to the other, as if he had forgotten how to use his legs. His head was bowed, and Dax couldn't see his face. He prayed that he wasn't too late, and that maybe his brother wouldn't end up like Jon Ace. But by the way that his veins started throbbing and sweat shone on his face, Dax had a sinking feeling in his gut that told him otherwise.

Slowly, Spike raised his hand up towards the other, trembling as his fingers curled and uncurled. His head raised a bit, slowly looking up to Dax. The other teen swallowed hard, seeing Spike's eyes getting bloodshot.

" **I... Need to... Pay you back... For... Ev...Ery...Thing..."** he huffed out slowly. He raised his hand again, the muscles and veins distorting. Dax winced at the sight, but prepared himself. Instinctively, he reached for a core, but found none.

Spike charged forward, and Dax waited until the last second to jump out of the way. A shower of rock and dust erupted as the other teen collided into the wall. Dax used the opportunity to run over towards the Eklipse technology.

"C'mon. There's gotta be something here!" he huffed, trying to figure out the numbers and data, or even find something that looked like it could be useful. All the readings said was that Spike was still alive, and that the transfer of monsuno energy was incomplete. He looked back to see the other teen groan, half his figure now growing grotesque as it tore through his orange jacket and shirt.

The first thing Dax thought of was Jon Ace becoming a monsuno. And that just made him think about how painful it must've been. As Spike stepped away from the wall, he let out another groan, falling to the ground as his right arm and legs started to bulge and contort.

 **"G...Get... Back... Here."**

Dax went back to frantically searching. He didn't see a cure or antidote anywhere (not that he was expecting one), but maybe he could at least reverse what happened by using this machine-

Glass shattered as a large chunk of wall hurled itself into the mechanism. Dax quickly stumbled back as sparks flew from the dashboard. He looked back to see Spike rising from the ground, half his figure now started to resemble Toxic Ace.

"Spike! You gotta stop mate!" Dax exclaimed, "You're losing yourself. Why can't you see that?"

Spike let out a laugh, his monstrous hand flexing, " **You… You're just... Jealous!"**

He rushed forward again. Dax ran behind one of the power boxes, watching as the other teen bashed through it like nothing.

"Oh geez. Why can't we talk about this like pals. We're friends after all. I'm not going to fight you," Dax said, ducking down as Spike threw the other half of the machinery at him.

" **You. We have... History... But... That's all...!"** Spike hissed, then let out a roar. The ceiling shook, and Dax clapped his hands to his ears. When he looked again, he was launched backwards into the wall by another hit, this one in the chest, " **I... Have power... Now...!"**

Dax let out a gasp, falling to the floor as Spike let out a pained sound. He gripped onto his monsuno arm as his veins started to turn bright red.

'I can't beat him like this,' Dax thought. He coughed a bit, slowly getting back up as he reached into his pocket. He felt the Forge Cores that he took from Tallis still there, and was tempted into spinning them. They might not listen to him, but what other choice did he have?

 **"Go... Ahead... And call out... Your monsuno...!"** Spike huffed, **"I... Will just... Tear them... Apart!"**

Spike let out another pained sound, falling to his knees. He gasped a few times, gripping the ground as he got back up. Dax stood up a bit taller, silently watching. Power. That's all that Spike wanted. Even if it meant turning into a monster and going through immense pain. He just didn't want to be afraid anymore.

He didn't want to be alone...

Dax knew fighting wasn't going to be the answer. That was the thing that got the two of them into this mess. He needed to reach Spike another way. One that didn't involve monsuno.

With a swift motion, Dax reached into his pocket, took out the Forge cores he had, and placed them down on the floor. He kicked them away, watching them skid across the floor and falling short of hitting anything. He looked back, seeing Spike look at him with a confused look.

 **"W-What... Are..."**

"I won't fight you," Dax said, then raised his hands, "I told you before, and I'll tell ya again. I'm not willing to fight my brother."

The two stared at each other. Dax didn't look away, even as Spike stalked over. Because even with how the other could crush him like a bug, Dax knew he wouldn't. And by the familiar look in Spike's eyes, that much was true. At least that's what he was betting his life on.

Spike raised an arm, just a few feet in front of the other.

 **"Y-You're... Trying to trick... Me... Again... Aren't... You...?"**

Dax shook his head, "No. No tricks here. Just the two of us talking. It's not my style, but I'm willing to try anything if it means getting my brother back."

Spike raised his hand higher, intending to strike down at the other. Dax continued to stare up, fixed on not resisting. He could see doubt swirling in the other's gaze. Slowly, Spike lowered his arm.

 **"You... Just want to... Make sure I'm... Out... Of the way... For your... Other friends..."** he sighed. Dax shook his head.

"Really? If you still think that then the monsuno essence has really fried your brain," he said, "I could've gone with the rest of them and escaped by now. Heck, I could've gone and gotten my monsuno back."

Spike growled lowly, his arm rising slightly.

"But I didn't," Dax said, showing how he didn't have his bandolier with him, "I chose to run down here blindly, even knowing that there was a chance that you wouldn't understand. I could've tried to find Jinja, or even go and regroup with Chase. But they don't matter right now. You need me more."

He reached his hand out in a familiar gesture. Spike's eyes widened. For a brief moment, Dax could've sworn he had the same doubtful look as the day he had left the orphanage. But this would be different. It had to be.

"I'm not gonna leave you. Not this time."

Spike lowered his arm slowly, eyes locked with the other. His other hand shook as he reached towards the other.

" **Dax..."**

There was a glimmer of red in Spike's eyes that got bright, and before he could react, Spike grasped onto the front of Dax's shirt and shoved him against the wall.

"S-Spike!"

" **I-I...!"**

There was laughter from the far end of the room. Dax blinked away the pain to see Klipse's butler standing by the broken remains of the machine, holding onto a small device.

"Wh-what did you-"

"Don't think that Klipse would make another experiment without a few precautions," Hargrave sneered, "Much like Jon Ace and Six, Klipse thought it would be a good idea to implant a controlling device into this subject as well. Too bad for you."

He pressed a button, and Spike let out a growl. He turned, tossing Dax carelessly across the floor. The other teen rolled a few times before coming to a halt.

Dax grit his teeth, getting back to his feet slowly. He tasted blood, and spat to the side. Spike was moaning in pain, clutching his head. He let out a roar, falling to the floor. Hargrave let out a laugh.

"Go grab those cores and bring them to me," he said, tilted his head towards the Forge Cores. Dax looked over towards them, and then back to Spike, who was still cringing in pain. He was at a loss of what to do. He knew that if he were to follow with what Hargrave said, eventually the two would both become experiments. But on the other hand...

Spike let out a choked sound, his eyes starting to water.

Dax couldn't just turn tail now and leave Spike as a monster. He had to do something!

He limped over to the cores, his left leg sore from where he landed funny. He picked them up in one hand, staring briefly at them before hearing Spike give another noise.

"You better hurry boy! Otherwise I'll be taking it out on your friend there!" Hargrave said with a smirk. Dax frowed, and looked down at the cores. Trying to spin out was way out of the question by this point. Not only would Spike see and most likely feel betrayed, but Hargrave would sooner dispose of Dax then try and face him head on.

"Well? Hurry up and hand them over!" the butler ordered. Dax took one last look at Spike before stuffing the cores back in his pocket.

"If you really want them, come get them!" he exclaimed, his hands clenched into fists. The old man clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"You little wretch!" the old man hissed, then pressed onto the panel. Spike gasped, his eyes glowing red. Dax took a step back, seeing the other eyeing him with a dangerous look. There was no familiarity in them at all. Only bloodlust. Dax couldn't even react as Spike surged towards him with newfound strength.

Luckily for him, he didn't need to.

Another large body collided with the monstrous teen. The two rolled a few times as roars filled the room, Dax running out of the way as they battled. He let out a gasp, surprised to see that it was Driftblade now wrestling with Spike.

 _"_ Dax!"

The teen gasped again, looking over towards the entrance to see Dr. Suno running towards him, metal case in hand "I got here as soon as I could. Where's Chase?"

Dax blinked dumbly, then shook his stupor away, "How am I supposed to know? No offense, but I've been a little preoccupied at the moment to be watching little Suno."

A shout got the two's attention, and they saw Spike try and fight off Driftblade. The monsuno was firm, keeping the other pinned down to the ground. Jeredy's eyes widened at the sight.

"Is that..."

"A monsuno hybrid," Dax finished, "Well. Half of one."

Jeredy knelt down, opening the case that he had. Inside were a variety of vials and syringes. He picked two, filling the needle up and tapping the bubbles out quickly.

"A little unexpected, but that's why I come prepared," The doctor said, "Hold him down Driftblade!"

The monsuno grunted, leaning further down onto Spike. Jeredy stood, syringe in hand, and ran forward. Spike threw his arm towards the doctor, who jumped out of the way in time. With a shout, Jeredy stabbed down into one of the pulsing red veins on the other's arm. As he pushed the plunger, Spike let out a roar, thrashing about.

He knocked Jeredy away, trying to get Driftblade off as the serum started working its way through his system. Dax watched with wide eyes as his movements started to slow, and finally, he stopped. Spike's swollen appendages started to throb before slowly shrinking back to their original form. He continued to moan in pain as muscles and bones popped back into place. As soon as he had stilled, Dax didn't hesitate to run over and slide next to the other.

Driftblade moved away, seeing that the teen wasn't a threat to anyone now. Dax let his hands hover uselessly over the other until he decided to check for a pulse. It took him a minute to find it with his own heart still racing. It was faint, but it was there.

"Is he okay?" Jeredy asked. There was a bruise blooming on the side of his face, but otherwise seemed fine. Dax nodded, then looked to the case that the doctor held.

"How did..."

"Jon Ace has been starting to feel the effects of his Toxic mode again," Jeredy puffed, trying to get his breath as he knelt down, "I prepared for it a few hours ago, including a more powerful cure just in case. We're just lucky that we got to your friend before the full effects took place..."

Dax let out a sigh, and couldn't agree more. Obviously Spike started fighting against the monsuno essence after their talk, but if it weren't for the doctor, then there was no telling what would've happened.

"Thanks a lot doc," Dax said, leaning back. As much as he loathed the work that the doctor put him through, the man sure could come through when he needed to, "By the way, when did you get here?"

This time Jeredy let out a sigh, "About twenty minutes ago I think. I got lost going down those tunnels so its probably been sooner then that. I picked up the energy readings down here and figured that it was something that Klipse was planning on using."

" _That you were right!"_

The two gasped, turning towards the remains of the machine to see Klipse step from the smoke, a frown on his lips. Dax and Jeredy immediately got to their feet.

"You may have stopped my little side project, but you're not about to put a damper on the main event!" He said, raising a core.

"Hyper Backslash, LAUNCH!"

The core clattered against the wall, filling the room with red light as the familiar Eklipse monsuno appeared. Only this version was clearly an upgrade from the metal armor and size it was now sporting.

"Dax," Jeredy said, taking a hold of Driftblade's core, "You better get your friend out of here. It's gonna get messy."

Klipse let out a laugh, "That's what you think, Jeredy. But believe me, it won't take long for me to beat you! Not with my new monsuno!"

Dax watched Dr. Suno for a brief second before wrapping one of Spike's arms around his shoulder. As much as he wanted to help the other, there was no way of doing that without his monsuno. The next best thing he could do was get help for Spike from S.T.O.R.M. and come back.

He limped towards the exit, casting one last glance at the two doctors before their fight would begin.

HLP

The ceiling above them shook again, a few large chunks of tile crashing down and breaking against the stone floor. None of them acknowledged it. Not with the message being revealed.

"... Huh. Who knew the old man had it in him," Duo sighed. The bookman jumped, then looked up to the door. Beyal kept his gaze down, nails digging into his palm. Why would his master want this here? Even with a threat like the bookman, this wasn't...

"... Oh what's wrong? Your master disappointing you?" Duo sighed, "You really shouldn't be surprised. That old fool kept way too many things a secret. And for what? Didn't really do much in the end-"

"Don't say anything bad about my master!" Beyal hissed, placing his hands on the door. He continued to look down, unable to stare at the words but unwilling to look at the two, "He knew what we needed to do to... To keep going..."

As much as he believed that, there were plenty of things his master kept secret since he was born. Monsuno. His sister. Where he had come from… He blinked away the tears forming, knowing that now wasn't the time to feel pity.

"We should hurry," Duo said, turning towards the stairwell leading back up, "I have a feeling the battle upstairs will be finished soon."

"Alright. Then let's get some blood!" The bookman exclaimed.

She produced a blade, now staring up at the door with a thoughtful expression. Beyal kept his head bowed, resting his forehead on the door. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't stop them. Something like this _wouldn't_ stop them! They were all-

A gunshot rang throughout.

Beyal let out a gasp, quickly turning around as the bookman's smirk grew.

Duo looked down as her body fell, seeing a bullet hole pierce through the center of her cloak. She collapsed to the floor with a thud.

The bookman grinned to himself, gun lazily drawn in his hand. He took a step towards her body, looking down with a frown.

"Huh. No blood. Even when I had a clean shot," he said, then shrugged, "No matter. I know at least one other here who has some!"

He raised the gun at Beyal, who pressed his back against the door, feeling the cold wood run up his arms. The bookman let out a laugh.

"Who would think I'd finally corner you here?" he said, "Too bad the old man is already gone. I would've loved to see his face right now, knowing that the last of the monks would be wiped away!"

Beyal quickly grabbed a core. The bookman scoffed.

"You really think you could spin out faster then a bullet?" he sneered, "Besides, you and I both know that cores aren't going to work. Not down here!"

He cocked the gun, and Beyal clenched his eyes shut.

"Good bye, little monk!"

Another gunshot.

The bookman laughed, but soon stopped. His smirk faded, quickly going into a frown.

Beyal held his breath, fighting the urge to open in his eyes in fear of the worst. When nothing happened, he slowly opened them, realizing that there was no pain and that he hadn't been hit. He looked up, gasping when he saw the woman now standing again. Except she was standing in front of him.

She let out a chuckle, that soon grew into full laughter.

"Sorry. But his blood won't do," she said lowly, pointing up at the door, "We need tainted blood."

Before any of them could react, she sliced a blade through the air, making the gun split in the bookman's hand. He let out a surprised gasp, eyes bulging.

"While I can't read all of it, I can't forget that word. 'Tainted,'" She sighed, metal pieces clattering to the ground, "If only because that's what _he_ called me when I was exiled."

She drew her blade up again, striking the rest of the gun away. The bookman let out a gasp of pain when she got his palm.

"W-wait!" he exclaimed, cradling his hand as it bled out, "You- you still need me!"

"Ha. For what?" Duo scoffed, raising her bladed hand, "Your worth has long since been gone. And you've been plotting on trying to get rid of us just like that other man, Klipse. At least now you could be of use-"

Before she could step towards the cowering man, the monk boy stood between them, arms spread as if to shield the old man. Duo raised a brow.

"This isn't right," he said, "Even if his crimes are... Horrendous. Nobody deserves this."

Duo kept her skeptical look, lowering her arm slightly. She stared down at the boy trying to challenge her, seeing the bookman frozen in fear in the corner of her eye.

"... Even after this man murdered everyone you know and tried to kill you, you would stand in my way of disposing such a worm?"

Beyal kept his gaze fixed on her, unwavering. She couldn't help but laugh. She swiped wide in a thrust, making the bookman let out a shout and fall backward. Beyal didn't budge, even as her hand came dangerously close. He winced when she cut his cheek, but still stood there.

She let out another laugh.

"I guess Ey chose his successor well," she said, a bit bitterly, "Quite noble... But you're in the way."

Without blinking, she seized forward and hoisted Beyal into the air with her other hand. He let out a surprised shout, trying to get out of her grasp.

"Wh-what're you-"

"See you on the other side, monk boy," she said, bringing her fingertips down to his forehead. There was a brief moment where he struggled before his gaze went blank, and his body went slack.

The bookman, taking that as a sign, got to his feet and started to run for the corridor. Before he knew it, the woman was in front of him, blades drawn once again. He stumbled back with a shout, then glared openly at her.

"If only you aimed a bit higher," Duo tutted, pulling down the jacket and shirt she wore. The bookman let out a gasp, eyes widening. In the middle of her chest was a gleaming green stone, embedded into her skin. Just below was a circular, metal plate that was sparking from where the bullet hit.

"This thing is obviously not made from earth, being able to take the damage that it did and still work," she said, then shrugged, "But you did managed to give me back some control of my body from that little leech. And for that I'll give you some mercy."

She drew her blade up, watching the bookman cower back. He looked in every direction for something to use or for a way of escape, but found none.

"How sad that the man who took out the monks was nothing more than a coward," she said chuckling, "How ironic that I'll be the one avenging them."

"St-stay back!" he stuttered, and reached down to grab a core. She tutted him.

"Don't think your monsuno can save you. The seal down here keeps monsuno from coming out. You're on your own."

The man, clearly not knowing defeat, reached into his cloak to try and find a weapon. He found a blade, throwing it carelessly forward. She smacked it away with one hand, and quickly shot a shard straight into his shoulder. He let out a pained scream as he was swiftly brought to the ground, unable to move as it pinned him down.

 _"Are you done yet?"_

The two looked over towards the entrance to see Ehna strolling towards them, a steel gauntlet in hand with Exi trailing close behind with a dismayed, tired look.

"Almost. Just need one last ingredient," Duo replied.

"Good. Because someone's coming down here," the brown-haired teen said, "And I have a feeling it's you know who."

The woman nodded, looking back down at the quivering old man. He clutched onto the shard in his shoulder, face starting to lose color as the floor below him started to stain red.

"Y-You're all monsters!" he barked. They each gave him varying looks. Ehna looking passive. Exi staring at the ground. Duo, however, glared at him in disgust.

"Maybe so. But you're the one that decided to attack this peaceful place, knowing they couldn't fight back. But you already know that don't you? Pretending to be one with that useless robe," she said slowly. Her gaze fell away, now looking up towards the door again, "The rules that the monks follow are laws that prevent them from committing some of the most foul and violent acts. After all, to hold secrets as great as the Five Tribes, one needs to be free from impurities."

The ceiling shook harder, a roar echoing down the stairs.

"However," she continued, eyeing the bookman with a deadly gaze, "when one breaks away from one of those rules, they are no longer bound. They must desert the temple and never return."

The bookman was now struggling to get free as the woman approached, her hand forming back into a blade, this one larger then any of the previous ones, now being aimed straight between his eyes.

"Guess what rule I broke?"

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, TacticianLyra, Kathywood67, Darpsonic6, miss mysteri, Glowblade998, and monsuno power for the reviews! Apologies that THIS chapter was prolonged, as for some reason it was hard to write. MAybe it's just because of the layout. Oh well. Expect another update this week for your patience.

Also a little surprise at the end. Let's just say official introductions will be made within the next two chapters, so as to not give too much away.

Enjoy!

* * *

It was hard to move while hefting two people twice your size. Well, Kilo was still somewhat awake, thought he was hardly in the state to walk (although his bleeding had stopped long ago, always a good sign). And with the woman out cold, X-Ray was left to get the two upstairs on his own. He looked up from the bottom with a sigh, now standing at the intersection that he and Chase were at just a few minutes ago.

"Geez. Sometimes I wish I was like Bravo," he huffed, deciding to take a break and collapse towards the wall. He dropped the other two so that they were leaning against the wall while he sat on the floor in front of them.

"Don't... Worry," Kilo breathed out, clutching onto his chest wound, "We're almost there..."

"Save your strength! You've already lost a lot of blood," X-Ray snapped a bit. He knew that Kilo was probably feeling guilty for whatever happened to Suno's white haired friend (he was an honest guy like that), but even he should know that there was nothing the two of them could do. It was all up to Chase now.

Their job was to find the bomb.

X-Ray rose from his seat and walked towards the stairs. He tapped at the screen on his wrist, and quickly found himself confused. For some reason, there was all kinds of energy being picked up right now. He couldn't even pinpoint where it was coming from.

"Ugh! Stupid thing's busted," he grumbled, shaking his wrist a bit before tapping at the panel. Same readings. He let out a sigh looking around. There had to be a way of finding out where the bomb was, but how?

There was a sound of something falling, and the teen jumped. He turned around, looking in the shadows. A mouse scuttled across the ground. X-Ray let out a sigh of relief.

"Just a mouse..." he said. He took a step up the stairs when a flash flooded his vision. The teen stumbled as the flashes got faster, until finally they focused into a clear image.

 _A hallway past the staircase. Running. Running through the darkened halls. Torches along the walls that flickered brightly. Empty besides the tiled floors that trailed ahead._

 _Left. Right. Right. Left. Straight. Right. Darkness. A machine inside._

 _Silver latch. The flashing button. Red. Blue. Red. Green. A red ticking timer next the insignia of Eklipse. Wired below of different colors-_

X-Ray tripped, falling back on his behind as his breath caught in his throat. He blinked dumbly, trying to figure out what he had just seen. He shook his head, unable to make any sense of it.

"This better not be that weird monsuno sight stuff," he grumbled. Tango had been talking about it ever since coming back form Mechanopolis, and he had some insight in what it was based on the scrolls that he had read. He hardly cared to find out about it, but considering all the crazy mystic stuff that had been going on, maybe now was the time to go with it.

A mouse squeaked against his foot, and he let out a yelp.

"Or maybe I'm just imagining it," he sighed, shaking his head. He turned back to the other two, promptly crawling over to check on Kilo who was out cold again. The teen was getting feverish, and there was a good chance his wounds were getting infected. X-Ray looked to the short haired woman, still seeing no sign of her waking soon. She let out a small moan when he nudged her.

"... Jack..." she murmured.

X-Ray let out a sigh, looking down at his communicator to see no messages from Alpha. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't navigate his way through the halls without getting lost, and he wasn't about to go running blindly into danger (that was what team Core Tech was for).

There was a hum, and he looked down to his belt to see Blockade's core vibrating. He took it into his palm. It was strange. It was almost like he could feel what it was feeling. Almost like it _wanted_ him to follow his instincts of what he had seen.

He cautiously looked over towards the hallway past the staircase that he had seen in his vision. Casting one last glance down at his messed up map, he pocketed his core, went over to the other two, and hauled them back onto his shoulders.

"I guess we have nothing to lose," he panted, then started following the directions that he received in his vision. He didn't stop until he was in front of a pair of wooden doors. He jerked at the handles, doors not budging.

He stepped back with a frown. Was this the right way? These doors shouldn't have been here...

There was an audible 'click!' from the door. X-Ray blinked, and tried the doorknob again. This time it opened, revealing a darkened room. He grimaced. Why was everything here so creepy!

He nudged the door open even more. The room was still darkened, with green canisters of energy on the floor. X-Ray jumped when he heard a groan, but quickly realized it was just Kilo.

"... Where..." he breathed out. X-Ray ignored him and glanced around, unable to see anything else.

"Hey. You think you can get the light in my belt?"

Kilo let out a sigh, and X-Ray could feel his hand shifting around his belt. His cheeks got warm as the other's hand fumbled around. Finally, he managed to get the flashlight clipped off and flicked it on.

They could see a large metal ball in the center of the room, metal pieces sticking into the ground for stability. There was a digital timer on the large cylindrical piece in the middle, and both of their eyes widened at seeing how little time they had left.

X-Ray set the other two down again before hurrying over to the main panel, Kilo still pointing the light towards it for him. All the buttons and knobs were flashing and buzzing, making it hard to figure out what any of them could do. X-Ray hesitated. There was a good chance that any one of the buttons could help disarm the bomb, but at the same time none of it was clear, not even the keyboard. Obviously this was meant to be understood by the original owner.

He let out a frustrated noise, fluffing his hair with his hands. He was supposed to be the smart one of Strike Squad. But there was no way he was going to half-hazardly push all the buttons. That was something that Bren would do.

X-Ray paused a moment. Should he start pushing buttons? Things tended to work out for Chase's group, so why couldn't they do the same? He looked down at the intimidating keyboard again, confidence suddenly lost.

"Yeah I'm not doing that," he muttered to himself. Just as he turned to the other two, he saw some of the buttons flashing in a familiar pattern. Or rather, he remembered pressing a few of them in the earlier vision.

He folded his arms together with a huff. On one hand, he managed to get down here thanks to those visions. On the other hand, this was way too easy.

He looked up at the ceiling in thought. They didn't have the luxury of waiting for an answer, especially with the others out fighting.

"Here goes nothing," X-Ray breathed, hovering his hands over the keyboard.

Suddenly, his legs were yanked from below and he fell to the ground. Before he could react, the teen was pulled towards the shadows of the room and away from the machine with a yelp by a black cord. As soon as he stopped, laughter erupted into the room. A tall man with black hair sticking up stepped out, the cord wound in his hand.

"Oh don't think that Klipse would leave this unguarded for the mouseys to meddle with!" the man said with glee, "And what a surprise! Mouseys other then Suno and his friends! Lucky me!"

X-Ray quickly scrambled out of the bonds around his legs and rolled backwards. He jumped back up and grabbed a core. Surprisingly, the crazy man - who he recognized from a report of Eklipse mercenaries as Dom Pyro - didn't have a core.

"Go ahead little mousey!" he challenged, "I don't even need my pretty pretty to take on such a timid thing like you!"

X-Ray hesitated for a second, then shook his head. He wasn't about to let this guy get to him. Just as he pulled his arms back to spin out, the vision from before flashed before his eyes.

He let out a gasp, putting one hand to his head as his grip on Blockade's core loosened. Dom Pyro let out a laugh.

"Oh what's wrong? Too much for the mousey?" he cackled, "Don't worry! We have plenty or time to play before my pretty pretty chew you to bits!"

He started to spin the cord in his hands a few times before throwing it at the teen again. X-Ray saw just in time to dive out of the way and behind one of the columns in the room near the other two. The crazed man let out a chuckle that started to rise.

"C'mon out! I'll go ahead and give you the chance to do it yourself," he said, "But then again, I can't wait to drag you out!"

As much as X-Ray wanted to attack, he knew he couldn't. He was only a few feet away from the bomb that had a dozen gallons of monsuno energy probably pumping inside. And setting off a core this close would no doubt blow them all to bits. That thought made X-Ray shake.

'I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid!' he thought to himself. It would be hard to battle in the room with the monsuno essence so close, but what choice did he have? That crazy man wasn't going to let them disarm it otherwise!

As his grip tightened on the core, someone's hand moved on top. He flinched, looking to see that it was Kilo.

"It's not going to work," he whispered, "Monsuno cores... They don't work down here for some reason."

X-Ray's face fell, " _What?!_ "

"C'mon out little mousey! Don't keep me waiting!"

X-Ray glanced back quickly, then turned to Kilo. What were they supposed to do now? If they couldn't rely on monsuno there was no way they could fight off that guy. Sure the smaller teen could put up a fight, but that guy had at least three more feet on him, and time by the look of the clock ticking away on the bomb. He needed to get that guy away somehow-

Another hand moved onto his shoulder, and he had to stifle his cry of surprise. He turned to see the woman finally awake, her eyes fluttering open. She glanced around as if she had just woken from a long sleep, eyes landing on the two.

"Who are-"

"There you are!"

They all turned to see Dom Pyro standing in front of them a few feet away. His smirk was growing by the second. X-Ray grabbed a core. It didn't matter if they didn't work down here, or if the bomb was nearby. He had to do something to stop him!

X-Ray stood in front of the two, feeling his legs trembling. The crazy man laughed, taking a few disks from his belt.

"I suppose we can save the fun for later. After all, it would be a shame to get caught up in the fireworks show!" he said with a toothy grin, "See you later little mousey!"

There was a rumble, and a few rocks fell from the ceiling. Dom Pyro stopped, looking up for a second as a few fell on him. He shook his head, now eyeing X-Ray. As soon as he drew his arm back to throw, the ceiling above him gave away. He looked up briefly to see the rocks tumble down. They all stared wide eyed, unsure of what to think.

The woman let out a gasp as some of the dust cleared away. Dom Pyro had managed to jump out of the way, but someone else was standing there.

"Pozzo!" Bekka exclaimed. The two teens could see a large man standing there, a red monsuno behind him. They stayed on alert, even as Dom Pyro's expression turned sour.

"Oh great. More annoying mouseys," he muttered, "And I can't use my pretty pretty..."

The monsuno charged towards the assassin, who let out a yelp. He did a cartwheel as the monsuno whirled by.

"Bekka, are you okay?" the large man said, running up to her, "When we didn't hear anything from you, Jack assumed the worst."

She gave the other a nod, her expression grave. But there was something in her eyes that was more relaxed now that this other man appeared (although X-Ray was a bit intimidated by his size, and the hammer he was toteting).

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and saw Kilo giving him a look.

"Now's our chance. We gotta disarm the bomb!"

X-Ray nodded, running back over to the piece of metal. He could see that the timer was now at fifteen minutes. Enough time to figure out how to hack it, but that wasn't something they could depend on. Not with everyone else fighting outside.

"Stingapede, Fear Flash!" Pozzo ordered. Kilo let out a gasp, then stumbled up to his feet.

"No! Wait!"

The monsuno ceased its actions immediately despite it's controller's orders. Pozzo and Bekka turned to the teen with confused looks. Kilo huffed as he stood, trying to keep his balance without getting woozy.

"You can't fight in here. Not with the bomb so close."

Dom Pyro let out a laugh, "Oh yes that's right! Wouldn't want to blow us all sky high right?"

He jumped backwards, now under the hole that Pozzo had appeared in just a minute ago. He pulled something from his belt, aiming up towards the sky. He pushed a button, a hook shooting up.

"But now that there's only a little time left, I think it's time I take my leave. See you later, little mouseys!" Dom Pyro cackled, dragging himself out through the hole with a push of a button. X-Ray didn't bother to watch his theatrics, focusing on the buttons. As he cautiously pressed them in the right order from his vision, he could feel the rest of their eyes come back to him. Now the pressure was on.

He ignored them, until he came to the last button. The clock ticked away diligently. He held his breath a little as he pressed down. Nothing happened. And at first X-Ray thought he had succeeded.

But then a piece of metal popped open, and the timer sped up, now doubling its speed.

"Uh oh!" he said, quickly opening it up more to see an array of wires poking out.

"What? What's wrong?" Kilo asked.

"That wasn't the override," X-Ray said, starting to move the wires around to get a closer look, "I think the override's in here, but that also set off the timer."

"What does that mean?" Bekka asked.

"It means I only have seven minutes to figure out which wire cuts the power before it goes off in an inferno!" X-Ray panicked, his hands starting to shake. There was no indicators that showed where the power started or where the monsuno energy input was or where the ignition was- he had no clue where to start!

When he was being trained for this type of work in S.T.O.R.M. with Charlemagne, she had always emphasized the importance of working under pressure. A single second can be the difference. Which was why he had to be the one to do the research before any of their missions.

Of course this was different. He didn't have time to look up the way that wild core bombs worked- and he could only tell that much about it by the five cores embedded into the back panel of the inside. Was it even possible? There was no way he could do this! It-

A hand landed on his shoulder that made him yelp. He saw Kilo giving him a grin (though he seemed pained to give it).

"Don't worry," he huffed, obviously fatigued, "You got this. I know it."

X-Ray gulped, and nodded. He couldn't doubt himself. Not now. He wouldn't fall to the pressure. His hands went for the wires, sorting through them. He could see the where they lead, making note of every input and output so as not to disturb the timer. Slowly, he pulled a pair of clippers from his belt.

Sweat was building on his face, but he didn't wipe it away. He was slowly coming down to the last few wires, knowing that he was coming down to the moment of truth where cutting one single line would be the deciding factor of whether they succeeded or failed. The clock continued to tick on until there was only a few left.

"X-Ray!"

"I know! I know! Don't rush me!" he snapped. The other three were peeking over his shoulder, practically breathing on him.

Two more wires. There were just two other wires. X-Ray tried to clear his mind, if only to get a hint. His nerves were getting the better of him, and relying on his training only made things worse. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed a vision. And he needed it now!

...

...

...

 _Instinct._

The clippers in his hands were shaking, he clenched his eyes shut. He felt both wires in his hand, letting one slip away as he took a firmer grip on the other.

"A minute left!"

He took a breath. It was now or never!

There was a 'snip!', and they all held their breath.

X-Ray kept his eyes shut, feeling sweat drip down his brow. As nothing happened, he peeked through. The red numbers of the timer were frozen, blinking every few seconds. And they were all still alive.

They all sighed in relief.

"Thank god," X-Ray sighed, looking as the levels of the energy stared to become stable, "As long as no more energy feeds into this thing it'll be fine."

Kilo sighed, leaning back on his hands, "Good. Can we go now? I'm starting to feel woozy again."

X-Ray nodded, feeling exhausted now that his panic was slowly draining away. When he stood, a flash of blue on the machine caught his eye. On closer inspection he saw that it was Team Core Tech's monsuno.

"I guess that tall weirdo left these behind," he said, taking them. It was then that he noticed the other two still with them. The woman was looking around, seeming to be extremely lost now that the commotion was over. She let out a small gasp.

"Chase Suno!" she said, standing up, "He's in trouble! Those people are planning on-"

She swayed, nearly falling over if it weren't for the large man nearby. She tried to shake him away, now looking to the other two.

"Where is Chase Suno? Is he here?" she asked. X-Ray and Kilo exchanged looks, unsure of what to say.

HLP

It had taken them a few minutes, but the three of them had finally gotten down to the main entrance of the temple. Alpha let out a sigh of relief in seeing the large wooden doors. He was anxious to get back to his teammates, especially after the call with Bravo cut out. All he could get from it was that something had happened to Trey and Tango. At least that meant that reinforcements had arrived.

After their encounter with that grey haired guy, Alpha felt more than a little drained. He was still leaning on Jinja and Bren even after they had taken a long route of getting to the main entrance. But he couldn't worry about that right now. He needed to get it together enough to help in the battle.

His communicator went off. Both Jinja and Bren jumped a bit at the noise. Alpha let out a sigh, picking it up again.

"Alpha here."

" _It's X-Ray! We managed to disarm the bomb that was using all the monsuno essence! We also found Jinja and Dax's cores_."

Alpha nodded, letting out a small 'yeah.'

 _"What should we do now?_ " X-Ray asked, _"I've got Kilo and these-uh. Civilians with me. Kilo's still hurt. Should we regroup with you?"_

The red-haired teen thought for a moment. It would be worth it to wait for them since then they could get Jinja's monsuno back, but they couldn't just sit around with Bravo and the other's still outside battling. The least they could do is go help within that time.

"Regroup with us outside," Alpha said, "S.T.O.R.M. showed up so there should be a medical team out there for Kilo. Once you get outside try and help whoever you can."

X-Ray gave a 'roger' and there was a click. Alpha lowered his arm, already feeling drained. It only took him a second to realize a small detail that made him curse.

"What? What's wrong?" Jinja asked.

"I forgot to ask him where Chase was," he replied, "He didn't say anything, so I think we can assume that Chase ran off on his own."

"That's a safe assumption," Bren shrugged. Jinja put a hand to her chin in thought.

"Should we go try to find him then? I know he's probably trying to run after Klipse or the Hand of Destiny, so maybe we should give him back up-"

The temple shook again, the three of them nearly falling over. There was a roar outside, followed by a scream. Both Bren and Alpha let out gasps.

"Tango!"

The two both ran for the door. Alpha stumbled the second he took one step forward, Jinja catching him before he could fall. Bren didn't bother to wait for them, running out the doors as snow whipped into the entrance. Alpha hurried as fast as he could with Jinja, gripping onto Tripwire's core in anticipation.

The outside courtyard was barely recognizable, half of the walls still standing. Flames from metal wreckage sprouted out of the ground like blossoms of red and orange, making the battlefield of monsuno and S.T.O.R.M. visible even in the blizzard. The few soldiers still standing were either attending to the fallen or trying to face off against the purple monsuno that were now cornering them all- far too many for them to take on alone. Alpha searched all around for a sign of Bravo or Tango.

"Bren!" Jinja shouted, dragging Alpha with her as she ran towards the other teen. He was standing there at the bottom of the steps, staring out towards the sky. As the other two approached, they could see flashes of green and white in the fog.

"Look out!" Jinja shouted, letting go of Alpha and throwing herself onto Bren as a purple blast of energy barely missed them. Alpha stumbled for a brief second, balance thrown off. Everything spun too fast, and he quickly fell to his knees.

'Breathe. Breathe,' he thought, trying to steady himself. He glanced up again, and let out a gasp. He could see Bravo crouched next to someone, and immediately Alpha was back on his feet. He pushed the ache in his body away in favor of getting to his teammate.

"Bravo!" he shouted. The blonde saw him, taking a defensive stance before recognizing his leader. He let out a sigh of relief, but had a worried look in his eyes.

"Status," Alpha huffed. Bravo let out a sneeze.

"We have... Many injured. It's hard to say if there are any casualties," he said in a dissociated voice, "Some reinforcements showed up, but they were taken down. I can't tell how much we have left..."

He trailed off, then turned to the fallen figure. Alpha recognized it as the Commandant.

"And Jon- Commandant Marshall Ace is injured. He's been going through some sort of weird transformation. I can't say for sure what's happening," the tall blonde, looked further into the distance towards a group of soldiers, "And Commander Trey..."

Alpha saw the expression on the teen's face. A hollow feeling in his stomach rose up at the grave voice that the other spoke in, "Don't tell me-"

"I lost sight of him a while ago. But I know there's some soldiers looking after him," Bravo said emotionlessly, shivering as a gust rose up, "But I don't think-"

"There's... One more team."

The two jumped, and turned to see Jon slowly trying to sit up. Jinja and Bren had stumbled over, both shaking hard at the cold. The commandant had a pained expression as he gripped his chest, and coughed into his hand. Alpha winced at seeing the dark splotches that stained his palm.

"I ordered the medical team to stay back just in case. They... Should be heading here. Along with Trey's reinforcements-"

"Hold on! You should rest," Jinja said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Jon batted it away, slowly getting to his feet.

"I can't afford to rest... Not with S.T.O.R.M. in shambles right now..."

The commandant was resolute on fighting, but he wasn't in the right state at all to continued. Especially since those other monsuno didn't look like they were about to stop.

"No offense, commandant. But we can take them on!" Alpha said.

"I'm not so sure about that one," Bravo muttered, glancing around the area. Admittedly, there looked like way too many for them to try and fight, considering how Jinja didn't even have hers at the moment. And going back inside wasn't an option right now. Not with half the troops lost somewhere in the snow. Alpha looked to Tripwire's core, feeling it's energy inside giving a jolt. His eyes looked to the ground to see a strike launch laying uselessly, a core inside and one just a few feet away.

His monsuno gave another nudge. He nodded, knowing what it was trying to say.

"I'll just have to take control of all of the ones we have!" Alpha said, taking the strike launcher into his hands. He took the core from the ground, see that it Blackbullet's. The light was starting to fade, but grew as he held it.

"Hold on Alpha!" Jinja said, placing a hand on the launcher, "You can barely stand as is. Do you really think it's a smart idea to try and command _any_ monsuno?"

Alpha frowned, looking up towards the battlefield, hearing the panicked shouts of the soldiers. He clenched his fists tightly, "It doesn't matter whether it's smart or not. I have to! If we can't stop them here, then they'll reek havoc on the world!"

"But will you be able to keep them all under control?" Bravo asked, taking his eyes away from Tango's battle, "No offense, but no one's ever tried to command more then two at once. And we'd need a lot to even try and take on those purple ones!"

Alpha hesitated. Altogether, he had five: Tripwire, Skysite, Blackbullet, and Riccoshot-that was in the Strike Launcher. Keeping track of so many would be difficult. But he needed to do it! He needed to avenge his commander! He needed to be strong!

He needed to be like _him._

"Then I'll just have to be the first!" Alpha said, taking a hold of the cores. Bravo gave him a look, but nodded. Jon saw their expressions, and let out a sigh. He held out a core to Bravo, who saw that it was Bayonet. Jinja looked at them before hearing someone clear their throat. She turned to see Bren there, holding onto two of his own cores. She recognized them as Shellshot and Longfang.

"Here," he said, placing them in her hands and turning back towards the light flashes in the clouds, "Use those until you get your own."

She raised a brow, "What're you-"

"Neo-Quickforce, Launch!"

The monsuno appeared, letting out a short cry. Bren didn't waste anytime running and jumping on.

"C'mon buddy! Let's go find Tango!" He said, getting a nod from the beast. It took off in a flash, quickly disappearing into the fog, three purple monsuno flying after. Alpha watched with the other two, trusting that the brown-haired teen would find their other teammate.

"Let's go! Bravo! Jinja!"

The three of them ran forward. As soon as they got near the purple monsuno, something changed. They suddenly turned vicious, as if they could sense the monsuno in their cores. Sure enough, Alpha could feel the cores in his hands rattle away in anticipation.

"Deadfall! Bayonet!"

"Longfang! Shellshot!"

"Tripwire! Blackbullet! Skysite! Riccoshot!"

"LAUNCH!"

The monsuno cores bounced against each other, a funnel of blue and yellow flashing as the monsuno appeared.

"Bravo! Take the monsuno to the right. Jinja, the one's to the left!"

The two nodded, though Jinja waited a moment before running off.

"You know. Don't think this means you can order me around," she said with a smirk, dashing off. Alpha couldn't help but grin, a bit of confidence now stemming through. He shook his head, focusing on the six purple monsuno in front of him.

HLP

The three of them walked into the darkened cave, no longer lined with uniform tiles or stone and was now resembling a normal cave. Crystals started to appear on the walls, giving off a faint blue glow the further they went. The sound of the wind howling was faint, but could be felt with every chilling breeze that would go through. Exi shivered, rubbing his hands up his arms. These bottom corridors were freezing. It was cold before, but now it was getting frigid. Normally, something like this shouldn't have bothered him, but he wasn't exactly himself at the moment.

"Just ahead is the seal," Ehna said, not noticing the other's actions, "We'll only have a few minutes to prepare everything, so let's work fast!"

"What about the monsuno guarding it?" Exi asked, looking ahead. There was a faint light in the distance, but clearly it would take them a few minutes to get to. It immediately reminded him of their first mission in the desert and how much of a failure it was. The older teen looked down at him with a raised brow.

"Don't you remember anything? Triah had already taken care of the monsuno months ago! We wouldn't have been able to get this far if that were the case," he snapped. Duo watching the two for a moment, eyes narrowed. The raven-haired boy looked at her for a brief moment, letting out a shudder as he remembered her actions just a few minutes ago.

He glanced backwards, unable to see the entrance to this part of the temple. They had left the monk boy back there, seeing that there was no point in dragging him along. But it still felt wrong to leave him in that room where...

Exi shook his head, pushing the thoughts away. Since when did he start feeling sorry for anything? (especially for someone as creepy as that bookman) He shouldn't have to feel sorry for what they had done up to that point. It was necessary after all. It had always been, according to Petros.

"By the way," Duo said, "How are we going to get rid of the lynchpin? No doubt that will be a problem."

"Already figured it out. Just needed to get a hold of this," Ehna said, holding up the metal gauntlet, "Had to sneak it away from the clone. And admittedly, I couldn't help but meddle a bit."

"Meddle?"

"Let's just say Klipse is in for a nice surprise with his clone," the teen replied, then walked a bit faster, "Anyway. Once inside we'll be able to release the shadow effect, and then the monsuno will finally be ours."

Exi stared ahead again. This plan with the shadow effect was something that still baffled him. He knew that the seal would be able to make all the monsuno go wild (if only because he had seen it in the desert with the original monsuno), but being able to take control of so many would be hard. Especially without being able to use any energy-

He stopped, the familiar dizzying feeling coming back.

'No! Not here!' he thought frantically, trying to steady himself as the world started to spin and his breath caught in his throat. The unknown feelings of that monsuno Driftblade were already starting to sink in. He quickly looked over to the other two to see that they hadn't noticed. Exi took a steadying breath, knowing that he needed to force it away.

That guy- Dax - had mentioned that Driftblade was something to be feared. And for good reason! That monsuno had nothing but fear and anger distorted together into pure bloodlust for battle. Of course it wasn't like he had similar feelings in the past. But if anything, the idea of battling was more of a game to him. A game with useless humans that were lesser then any of them.

Exi took another breath, straightening himself up and catching up with the other two. Ehna immediately noticed him running up.

"Don't tell me you're having a hard time keeping up," he said. The boy just shrugged, trying hard to keep that dull ache away from his mind. The older stopped, the woman following suit. He looked down at the boy, folding his arms together.

"... What?"

"Don't 'what' me," Ehna said, leering down, "There's something... Off about you. Did you take that vial of energy that I gave you?"

Exi looked away, "O-Of course I did. Why wouldn't I? Don't be stupid."

Before any of them could say something, there were footsteps echoing far behind. They all looked, unable to see into the darkness.

"Sounds like someone just got to the bottom floor," Duo said, "We still have a few minutes before they catch up."

Ehna nodded to her, and glanced down at the metal arm piece. He had a serious expression as he held it, stroking the red back place with the Eklipse insignia on it. He shook his head.

"Then we'll have to hurry and get the last three pieces for the shadow effect," he said, then turned to the smaller. He held out a hand, "Give me one of your meteor fragment."

Exi took a step back in surprised, and quickly looked between the two, "... What?"

"Give me a meteor fragment," Ehna repeated, "We need five sources of the original monsuno energy in order to set off the seal. And according to Klipse it has to be from that monsuno infused meteor that hit millions of years ago."

He took a step towards the boy, who took another back. The older frowned, but then blinked in realization. He leaned in closer with a questioning look in his eyes.

"There _is_ something wrong with you. I can see it in your eyes-"

"N-No there isn't!" Exi said, quickly looking away, "A-Anyway. You're the one who wants me to take one of the shards from my hand-you know what will happen if I do!"

Ehna rolled his eyes, "I don't need both. You can keep one. Just. Give me the other one before I take it."

Exi gripped his hands together, holding them close as he rapidly shook his head. The other teen frowned, then turned to the tall woman, "You. Go take it from him."

Her eyes trailed slowly towards the boy, who froze at her cold gaze. He had seen the power she had, and knew that there was no way he could take her on alone. But there was hesitance in her stance, and eventually she turned away.

"... No."

"No?"

She shrugged, "No. I don't want to. I'm sure you can handle it on your own."

Ehna growled at her, eyes narrowed. The ceiling shook, most likely the fighting still going on. No doubt they only had a little bit of time left. The teen let out a huff, taking a blade from his pocket.

"... Fine. But, this isn't over."

He threw the dagger straight at the boy. Exi stumbled back with a yelp, narrowly dodging. The older teen surged forward, fist drawn back. He swung, the smaller easily diving away.

Exi didn't bother with retaliating, retreating away. He looked around, trying to find something to use to defend himself. With how fast those visions of Driftblade came, there was no way he could rely on his monsuno powers.

His eyes landed on a large crystal sticking out of the ground. After casting a weary glance at the teen charging towards him, the raven-haired boy gripped in with both hands. He hefted it out within a split second. He threw it with all his might.

Ehna stopped, and braced himself as it hit full on. The sheer force threw him back into the wall. The boy blinked, an unsteady laugh coming out.

"Ha... Ha ha! I'm still stronger then you!" Exi boasted. The older teen growled under his breath before throwing another dagger. The boy yelped, ducking away. He moved too fast, a vision of that monsuno going through him again. Nausea immediately made him want to throw up.

"Not now!" he huffed, the familiar pain splitting between his ears. He tried to take a step forward, dizziness making the whole room swirl. Before he knew it, he was shoved to the ground hard.

He pushed whoever was on top and struggled to get back to his feet. But without the energy that he usually had, Ehna was easily much faster now.

Before the raven-haired boy could stand up properly, the older pounced onto his back, forcing him back down. Without hesitating, Ehna drew out two blades, and stabbed them straight through Exi hands and into the ground. The boy clenched his teeth in pain, eyes growing wide as he let out a strangled sound of pain.

"Oh ho ho. Looks like you aren't as strong as you thought," Ehna chuckled into his ear, the other gasping in short breaths. The blades had gone straight through the monsuno shards in his palms, making him especially weak as he tried to move. He jerked his hands up, and found nothing but searing pain traveling up through his arms.

Ehna looked to the boy's right hand, gripping his wrist and slowly dragging out the blade.

"No! No! No! Please stop!" Exi pleaded, finding the feeling to his hand fade. The older teen smirked as the blade came out of the ground and his palm. He flipped the boy's hand over, taking the glove off so that he could see where the green stone was embedded into his flesh.

"Good thing I didn't get this one too bad," he said over the boy's cries, "Would've been a shame to cut through the bigger piece right?"

Exi let out a whimper, trying to fight off the pain as his arms trembled. The knife dug back into his hand, now with the intention of carving out the meteor fragment. He let out another scream as a hand slapped across his mouth to silence him. He tried fighting against whatever force was holding him down at every cut, tear, snap - _Oh God!_

He continued to cry out as he saw the blade painfully dip into his flesh and come back out, until it finally made a full way around the stone. Ehna wedged it out, cutting away the last bits of flesh that were attached.

The teen admired the green stone, which was dulled down. There was a faint glow to it, like all meteor fragments infused with monsuno essence.

"... See? Was that so bad?" Ehna said, pocketing it. Exi's eyes became unfocused, barely registering the twitching and shaking that went through his right hand every so often. The woman took her hand away from his mouth, a melancholy look in her eyes. The older teen's eyes landed on his other hand, which was still punctured to the ground.

"Considering how little energy you've had, I guess it's better to take both and play it safe. It's not like you'd even be able to fight anyone by this point," he said, bringing his knife up again.

A whistle of something flying in the air pierced the silence. Ehna saw it glisten and threw his dagger, watching as the two metals clashed and fell to the ground. He let out a scoff.

"Oh great. It's you."

Exi let out a pained sound, trying to steady his breath as his vision blurred. He saw the teen on top of him looking off to the side. He followed his gaze, trying to blink through the spots dancing in his vision. Who was it? ... The monk boy? The clone?... Suno?

As the figure stepped out of the shadows, the three were all surprised to see a woman, blade pointed towards them as her blonde hair curtained one side of her face. Her cold yellow eyes fixed into a deadly, calculated stare.

"Why hello zere," she said, a grin stretching across her lips, "It's about time I caught up to you."

HLP

The cloud hopper had been especially bumpy when going up to the mountains. A blizzard hit that was unlike anything anyone had seen. The two soldiers controlling the flying machine were having a hard time keeping it airborne. And from the look of the other ships, they were having similar troubles.

"Do you think we'll be able to get there in time?" One soldier asked, "By the looks of the fog, I don't think we'll be able to get anywhere near the coordinates that Trey sent us."

"Seems that way. But what choice do we have? The last message that went through said that reinforcements were a must. And I doubt Trey would be making up something like that," the other soldier said. He glanced towards the back where the lights were dimmed. Their passengers were quiet, sitting patiently in the dark. The soldier sighed a bit.

"I don't get what the commander was thinking. Letting more kids come on this mission," he said, "I mean. I get it with the Strike Squad and all that, but that was something started by Charlemagne. And to be frank, she was demanding."

"Maybe so, but you gotta admit, she sure was something," the other half joked, "Between her anger and command, not to mention her-"

As the two continued to exchange words, the five passengers all exchanged looks. They nodded, carefully undoing their safety belts and headed for the door. One of them made quick work of the safety panel, setting off the emergency alarm as the metal fell away to reveal the snow storm.

"-What's going on?!" one of the soldiers exclaimed over the loud beeping. The other turned back with a gasp. He jumped out of his seat, taking some cautious steps as the ship made a sudden drop.

"What're you all doing? You all need to stay in the ship!" He shouted.

The one standing in the doorway glanced back, orange hair whipping in the wind and snow.

"Don't worry soldier," he said with a smile, emerald eyes gleaming, "We can handle this! It's what we were trained for!"

He turned to the exit of the ship, taking a yellow core in hand.

"Spritelight, launch!"

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: Thanks to TacticianLyra, ChasexJinjaForever, Glowblade998, monsunolover, and monsuno power for the review! I love the reactions you all have, but like I said we'll get to introductions later. Right now we have our main characters to get to. I really don't know what to call this chapter other than Suno-centric. Surprisingly, this is the only chapter that feature all three of them on each of their escapades (though admittedly it's not entirely about them).

Enjoy!

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Absolute nothing was going on in the ship, which was a bit of a first in Sebastian's opinion. He sat there on the swiveling chair, swinging his legs along as faint music could be heard playing in the room and hallway. After everyone had left, he had nothing to do (or anyone to bother), and eventually he found himself wandering around until he was in the hospital wing.

He assumed that was where is uncle would be, since he was a clumsy guy. Or even Chase and his friends, since they were even clumsier. However, Sebastian had eventually learned that they were all out in the field, and ended up finding the room where Mrs. Suno was.

And that's where he had stayed for the most part. Just sitting at her side, waiting for someone to come tell him where to go. The doctors had quickly ran out of the wing, saying something about a battle in the mountains and needing a medical team, leaving him alone in that section of the wing. There was one secretary outside the room, but she was busy with her nose in a magazine obnoxiously popping some gum.

He let out a sigh. What was he supposed to do? The cloud carrier had been on a new course, so his mother hadn't shown up yet to pick him up. He turned around in the chair for the twentieth time with a frown. If he was able to use the communication lines then maybe he would be able to call her, but after a certain prank all the codes were changed and he was banned from being near any of them.

"What am I supposed to do," he sighed again, swiveling in the chair. There was a soft noise, and he looked back to see Mrs. Suno's eyes open slowly. It was only a few seconds before she shot up from the bed with a gasp.

"Chase! Where-" she stopped, eyes looking around until they eventually landed on Sebastian.

"Hi."

She blinked, then glanced around one more time. Sebastian frowned.

"Hey! Hello! Mrs. Suno? What's up what's going on-"

She put a finger to his lips, effectively silencing him. She took a long breath, eyes closing briefly.

"Sebastian. Where's Chase at? Have you seen him? Or his friends?"

She lowered her hand and placed it in her lap. Sebastian thought for a second, crossing his arms.

"Well. No one's actually come back. I haven't seen anyone in a while now actually. I think they're all still off at that super-not-so-secret-mission," he babbled, "Everyone's actually there. Even that old guy who works all the time- what's his face- Chase's dad. Yeah! That guy-"

Sophia sat there listening. Or at least she seemed to be (adults tended to do zone out when he was running his mouth).

"-And my uncle's boss. Oh! And my uncle's old girlfriend! That lady with the blonde hair- Hey where're you going?"

Sophia stood up, swaying for a brief second. She sat back down, gripping the sides of the bed as she took a breath.

"Sorry Sebastian, but I can't stay here. Not with everyone fighting," she said, then started pulling the cords from her arms. The monitor with the beeping went off as soon as she pulled it away. Not even ten seconds later the secretary came running in.

"What's going on- Mrs. Suno! You're awake!" she exclaimed, going to the woman's side, "You shouldn't be up! You need to rest!"

Sophia tried batting her hands away, but moved too fast and nearly fell over. The secretary pushed her back onto the bed and turned off the heart monitor.

"Stay here! I'll find a doctor to check your condition," she said, then gave Sebastian a weary look before running out the door. The brown-haired boy went to the door to see her rapidly tap at a phone.

"Sebastian."

He turned around seeing Sophia standing again. She had a serious look on her face as she stared at the other.

"We need to get up to the garden. There's something that I need there," she said, then turned to the door with a sigh. Obviously that secretary was going to be a problem getting past. Luckily for Sebastian, he knew exactly what to do.

Without a word, he trailed off into the hallway. The secretary went back to chewing her gum loudly, tapping her fingers on the counter as she held the phone. Sebastian huffed out of his nose. Why were adults so dim witted? He crept up behind, her being ever so oblivious.

"Stupid phone. Taking so long... Why do we even have phone lines on the ship," she muttered, now tapping her foot on the ground. Sebastian spotted a pager machine near the desk. He noticed how it connected to the different room numbers, and found himself grinning. As quietly as before, he crept away down the opposite hallway from Sophia's room.

He already knew that there wasn't anyone down this way, so at least he wasn't bothering anyone. Yet.

The brown-haired boy spotted the pager near the bed in the nearest room. Like lightning, he went over and pressed all the buttons. He could hear the machine go off down the hall, along with grumbling from the secretary. He went to the next room and did the same, mashing the buttons and running off to the other rooms. As soon as he heard footsteps, he stopped and hid behind the door. He peeked out briefly to see her going into the closest ones, mumbling something about faulty equipment.

Sebastian ran over and slammed the door shut behind her. He tapped an overriding code on the door that made the safety lock engage (something that he had come all too familiar with).

"What's going on?!" the secretary cried out from within, and started banging on the door, "Who's out there? Hey!"

He grinned to himself, and ran back to where Sophia's room was. He saw her creep out now that the coast was clear, though she eyed him wearily.

"Where did..."

"She's back that way. I locked her in one of the rooms with the thing that Uncle Trey uses to keep me in his office. Not that he can keep me there now," Sebastian said with a toothy grin. Sophia let out a sigh.

"Unnecessary, but I appreciate it," she said, then went for the exit, "But as soon as we're done, you're coming back down here and letting her out."

"Do I have to?" Sebastian groaned, "She was like, really annoying. With all that gum chewing. And I should know! I chew my gum like that- but not as loud. More like this-"

He started smacking his lips together. Sophia let out a sigh. But not out of annoyance. More out of sheer exhaustion. And understandably so. She had been out for days now.

"... By the way," Sebastian said as they got to the end of the hallway, "What're we doing right now?"

"We need to get a hold of someone," she said, looking up and down the hallway. After a brief second, she briskly led the way. His shoes squeaked along as they dragged on the floor. They quickly got to the top floor of the cloud carrier, not seeing a single soldier around.

Sophia opened the door, leading the way into the garden. Admittedly, Sebastian had never bothered to come up here since he preferred bothering everyone and anyone he had seen.

"There are special properties of this garden," Sophia said, sitting down on the grass, "You see, monsuno essence can live in all life, not just monsuno themselves. The flowers and plants were grown with care near one of the sites of the five tribes, and transported here to channel monsuno sight. I've been helping one of the S.T.O.R.M. soldiers with it, and she seemed very receptive."

Sebastian looked around, then plopped right down in front of Sophia.

"I have no idea what any of that means," he said with a smile, "But if it means helping Chase, I guess it's cool."

She smiled at him, and took his hands into hers.

"Sorry. But I'm still weak right now," she said, "I'll need to use some of you're sight."

"My what?" Sebastian asked, tilting his head. Sophia laughed a little.

"Oh. Nothing to worry about," she said, stroking the back of his hands, "It'll be like... Taking a nap."

Before he could ask, Sebastian felt his eyes starting to droop. He became hard to keep them open, his body becoming heavy. He blinked a few times, seeing Sophia still in front of him. He found himself succumbing to it easily.

 _As he opened his eyes again, he saw nothing but darkness. It was a strange feeling, but wasn't frightening. If anything, it was something new. Something that could be explored. He floated along, because there wasn't ground here. Why would there be? He laughed to himself._

 _"Sebastian."_

 _He gasped. That voice! He turned around, seeing a man with light brown hair and a S.T.O.R.M. uniform. He had a stiff frown that soon grew to a smile._

 _"Dad!"_

 _The boy ran over, his own lips going into a grin._

 _"Sebastian."_

 _He was getting closer, his father opening his arms and crouching down so that they could embrace. He was here! It didn't matter how he was here, but he was! He was so close too!_

"Sebastian wake up!"

His eyes shot open. Light all around made him wince. He blinked a few times, seeing a woman standing above him.

"M-Mom?" he muttered softly. As his vision cleared, he saw that it was just Sophia-Mrs. Suno. He let out a sigh, now realizing that he was lying in the grass. With a huff, he slowly got up.

"Mrs. Suno... What happened?" he asked, finding his voice a bit choked. She saw the way that he looked, immediately putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently. It was then that Sebastian had realized that his eyes were damp. He quickly wiped his eyes.

"Y-yeah. Just. Tired," he said, "What... What was that?"

"I had to tap into you're monsuno sight in order to reach out to someone," she explained, "Sorry if it was a bit weird."

Sebastian shook his head. Trying to get his mind off of what he had just seen.

"Um... Did you get to Chase?" he asked, then shook his head again to get his momentum up, "You did right? I'm sure you did."

"It was a bit unexpected, but I did managed to reach someone," she said, leaning back. She still seemed tired, resting on the cool grass, "I just hope that what I said to him will be enough. There certainly was something different about his presence. It seemed more... Reformed."

Sebastian raised a brow, folding his hands behind his head as he laid back next to her, "Who're you talking about? Was it Chase? I bet it was Chase. Or that guy with the blue hat. Or that one who-"

"It wasn't Chase, or his friends, but they'll be helpful," She sighed, "It was someone who I can only describe as his half brother."

Sebastian quirked a brow, then stared up at the glass ceiling. The clouds overhead starting to get denser and darker. Even though he couldn't be sure, Sebastian could feel that they were getting closer to the rest of them.

HLP

The room shook violently. Both monsuno were getting exhausted, but neither of them dared to back down. Not with both of their controllers' commands becoming so fierce.

"Driftblade, Burst Barrage!"

The monsuno let out a grunt, jowls opening wide with a roar. The red monsuno jumped at the other before it could even charge up its attack. Jeredy had to admit that Klipse did have quite a knack for making destructive monsuno. Even if it was a bit over the top with how large it had grown.

"You're losing your touch there, Jeredy!" Klipse boasted as Backslash let out a growl, "I'm surprised your not half as a good as your son! Shouldn't it be the other way around?"

Jeredy bit his lip. Admittedly, he wasn't in the best position right now for an attack. Whatever technology that Klipse had used for his upgrade was beyond a shadow of a doubt powerful. But he needed to keep fighting! He needed to find out where the wild core bomb was or else they would all be blown to bits! And he wouldn't be able to find out unless he got past Klipse.

"I'm surprised you haven't turned tail yet to run," Jeredy said, trying to bait the other, "it's not like you to stay for a full fight. Not without something to gain. Unless of course it's some nefarious research on monsuno."

Klipse let out a scoff.

"Don't act like you're taking the high road when it comes to monsuno," Klipse laughed, "We both know the type of things that were necessary to create them from our experience in S.T.O.R.M. alone. All the sacrifices in the name of research."

Jeredy frowned. He knew full well the types of things that needed to take place for monsuno to exist. He had made plenty on his own, from having to work on the failsafe grid for years and to finally come up with efficient designs for the core technology.

"Besides," Klipse continued, "You took your own son's DNA to make the lynchpin. To create one of the strongest monsuno in existence! And it wasn't like you told him either."

Backslash's claws grew bright, slamming into Driftblade's face. It slid across the floor before hitting a column and coming to a stop.

"Like you're any different with your own son," Jeredy said, watching as his monsuno's energy whittled away. The bald man laughed even more.

"If you're talking about Six, then obviously you need to try again. He's my very own self. A shadow! An exact duplicate of who I am and what I stand for! Sure he's not the fastest to spin out, but he'll carry on my research. He'll continue to build my army until the world is ours!"

Backslash kicked Driftblade away, releasing a blast from its mouth as it did. Driftblade crashed into the far off wall with a groan.

"Can you say the same in your case?" Klipse continued, no longer bothering with paying attention to the battle, "You weren't exactly present for Chase during your time in S.T.O.R.M.. He's told me about it, especially when we first met. Hell. He was naive enough to think that _we_ were still friends when I first met him!"

Jeredy clenched his fists tighter. He had always worried that Chase would fall prey to many who claimed to know his father. Obviously that had happened a lot in the past, but Jeredy had never bothered to ask the details of what happened.

"And I gotta say, for a family man you sure do tend to drive them all away," Klipse smirked.

"That was..." Jeredy trailed off. He wanted to say it was necessary. But that was just an excuse. And a miserable one at that. He shunned Chase away, put him in danger, enlisted Dax's help instead, and had them hunted down by S.T.O.R.M.. And for the sole reason of monsuno.

He shook his head, "You're wrong. I've come to terms with what I've done. And I've been making amends for it."

Klipse let out a laugh, gripping the red core tighter. In response, Backslash hissed low as it charged up for another attack.

"Maybe so. But that doesn't hold much of a future if you can't make it out of this cavern alive! Backslash, hellbreaker!"

The red beast no longer bothered with Driftblade, now aiming at Jeredy. He let out a yell as he ran and barely jumped out of the way in time of the bright red beam. The raw power of the blast tore straight through the back wall. Jeredy felt the heat starting to burn his skin, even from a distance. It finally stopped, the monsuno letting out a raspy noise.

He needed to figure out a way of being able to attack, but there was no way that Driftblade would be able to handle something like that with it being so weak. And it wasn't like he had any other cores with him (but that's what he gets for giving Chase every new one he develops). He looked around the room, taking note of the remaining machinery and columns. He didn't like it, but he did have a plan.

"What's wrong there Jeredy? Already out of steam?" Klipse boasted.

"Nope. Just getting started!"

He got back to his feet, and ran towards the exit. He scooped up the metal case he brought along that had Jon's serum in it.

"Running away? Really?" Klipse laughed, "Backslash, destroy the exit!"

The monsuno surged past the doctor. It swung it's hind legs against the support columns, trapping them inside the room. Jeredy took a few steps back, looking around for another hallway. He continued to run, knowing that the monsuno would get ahead of him and destroy every way out. As soon as it was done, it turned it's sights towards him.

"I guess I have you cornered now don't I?" Klipse said, "And I thought you'd be more resistant. But I guess the great Doctor Suno had lost his touch."

Backslash roared, making Jeredy fall backwards. A shadow loomed over him, and his eyes widened at the sight of the red beast above him.

"I'd say I'd miss you, but I'd be lying," Klipse shrugged, "But I'll be sure to tell Chase about your untimely demise. Backslash, rip him apart!"

Just before the monsuno could bare down on the doctor, a roar rang throughout the room. Klipse turned around, letting out a yelp at seeing Driftblade now looming over him. It roared again, surprising him enough to where he dropped his core.

As soon as it left his palm, there was something that stirred in Backslash's eyes. Jeredy recognized it immediately. He scrambled back to his feet, running from the beast as it's confusion started to take root.

"Backslash! What're you doing?!" Klipse shouted. Driftblade let out a huff as he turned to get his core. He froze instantly.

"Driftblade, take out the columns!" Jeredy ordered. The monsuno grunted, letting out a blast towards the red monsuno. Instead of hitting directly, it struck down the stone pillars. Backslash didn't bother to move, hunching over and shaking hard.

"Backslash! What're you doing?!" Klipse exclaimed angrily. He went and grabbed the core, looking down at it's energy. For some reason, the small indicator was phasing on and off. His eyes widened, and he gazed up as the rest of the room started to shake.

"What's wrong Emmanuel?" Jeredy asked, "Not going to plan?"

The bald man growled and turned to the other with a fiery gaze.

"That was your own fault," the doctor continued, "Monsuno all have weaknesses. You obviously forgot to see what Backslash's was."

"Shut up!" Klipse barked, watching as Backslash started to tremble away from the falling rock.

"You didn't let it have a gradual change," Jeredy explained, "I did countless tests on Chase's cores, making sure that they would stand up against something like this. A monsuno can only handle so much energy at a time, which is why I kept their hyper mode as an option instead of making it permanent. There's not a core out there that can handle that type of energy!"

Klipse was oblivious to his speech. Jeredy felt dust fall into his hair and looked up. The cracks on the ceiling were now stretching out like spiderwebs.

"It looks like I misjudged your power," he said to Drifblade. He knew that there wasn't much of a way out now that the exits were gone. He'd just have to make his own.

"Driftblade, let's go!"

The monsuno came over, and he hopped on top. It aimed upward, letting out a yellow blast. He shielded himself from the rubble. Jeredy glanced back over to Klipse, seeing him trying to get his monsuno to respond.

He could just leave. But even with all the evil that Klipse had down, that wouldn't be right. If anything, he needed to be brought to justice. He'd need to pay for what they had done with monsuno.

Maybe then Jeredy would be able to bring himself to do the same.

"Emanuel!" he shouted, "We have to get out of here!"

The other didn't respond, simply glaring daggers.

"Please! Just call it back and we can fix it together!"

Klipse watched for a second as the room continued to crumble away. He let out a laugh, audible even in the quaking.

"Don't even bother Jeredy!" he snapped, "You were always afraid of the power that monsuno hold. But not me! I'll regain control, and once I do I'm going to make you and your son pay!"

Jeredy sat back, knowing that the bitterness in Klipse's voice spoke the truth. As much as he wanted to help, he knew that the other scientist was too prideful to accept help.

Before he could say something, yellow flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, the room started to shake even more, blurring away as his breath caught in his throat. He reached his hand out towards the Klipse, watching as the room got further away.

He slipped away. Was he falling off Driftblade? Why did it feel so far? Where was he-

 _Freedom. It needed freedom._

 _Being kept in a container for too long. Being trapped without purpose. It needed to get out of this dark metal prison._

 _And those figures... Always giving pain. Why..._

 _Suddenly, light. Another figure, this one unfamiliar. But there was energy around it. There was muffled sounds, far off because of the barrier._

 _"-and you are sure this is what Core Tech has been developing for S.T.O.R.M.?" the figure asked. Another came close. This one was familiar. Always coming to deliver pain._

 _"Of course. Dr. Suno has been focusing all his time on developing some sort of core technology to hold such beasts. I simply... Replicated some of his research when it came to the creation of these monsters," it said, "I don't know what to call it yet, but I can tell you right now it's powerful!"_

 _The one with the green aura was staring directly at it. A voice was coming clearer as they gazed at each other. It was beckoning. Wanting to burst out._

 _"... Set it free."_

 _"What?"_

 _"Let it out. Test its abilities," the green one said, "We need to know if it's as strong as you say it is. Otherwise, what's the point of keeping it alive with so much monsuno energy? We can't afford to lose anymore then we have already."_

 _"Petros."_

 _Another figure came into view, also having a green air to them._

 _"What is it Alister?"_

 _"We have located a strong presence of monsuno sight outside of the city," they said, "If you would, I think we ought to go after it. We need more keepers after all."_

 _There was silence for a brief moment._

 _"... I see your point," the one in the front said, "Tell the others. We'll use the quickening way. As for you Caligari. Release this... Thing out into the city. We'll observe what happens and make our decision then."_

 _They trailed away. It wanted to follow. They understood. They could feel what it was feeling. They could help it get out! It wanted out! It wanted to destroy them all!_

 _"And be sure to grab any files before you let this place burn," the other green figure said, "I can tell it wants to destroy you as much as the next scientist."_

"Jeredy!"

 _The figure was coming back. It was going for the latch that opened the barrier!_

"Is he okay? What's going on?"

 _"Okay. Let's see what power you can do!"_

"Doctor!"

His eyes snapped open. His hearing was deafened, and for a brief second, he couldn't see. Then everything became clear way too fast.

There were two soldiers standing over him, and Jeredy almost lashed out at them from the sheer impulse he felt. But that wasn't his own feelings. And he knew it. Instead, he stayed still, waiting for his breath to even out.

"Jeredy! Can you hear me?"

He saw Jon there. He was more disheveled then when he last saw him, but looking around Jeredy realized why. Somehow, he managed to get outside the room. He looked to his hand to see Driftblade's core still there, the energy now inside. It was shaking hard.

"What... Happened?" he asked, not wanting to dwell on what he had just seen. Jon looked out towards the distance. Jeredy followed his sight to see a field of fire and snow, purple and yellow clashing against each other.

His breath caught in his throat at the sight. There was only one person who had purple monsuno. And he knew that if _she_ was involved, then there was no time to lose!

"Did you find Klipse?" Jon asked, trying to keep Jeredy down as he rose up. The doctor let out a gasp.

"I did. But..." he trailed off. Did the other get out in time? There was no sight of Eklipse monsuno, so maybe...

Jon saw his expression, and cleared his throat, "Well. According to Strike Squad, they had managed to disarm the bomb. We'll need to retrieve it once this is... Once the reinforcements get here."

Jeredy nodded, looking out at the battle in front of them. The irony of the situation was coming back now that he was recalling what Klipse had just said to him. The problems with monsuno. The destruction of the world. Was it really their fault?

HLP

It was getting colder. He could've sworn he had heard footsteps ahead of him. That just made Chase run even faster. The whole way down the stairs was taking a lot longer than he had expected. If anything, he was sure that he would've caught up to them by this point.

He was also getting anxious. The longer he took trying to go after Beyal was more time that he could've spent finding the others and helping with the fight. But he knew that if he kept going, then he would find the Hand of Destiny and finally put this to an end.

A chill went through him. Chase stopped immediately, getting a bad feeling as the stairwell got instantly darker. He shivered, seeing his breath as he let out a pant. Subconsciously, his hand went to his belt where Locke was.

"I got a bad feeling about this," he said. There was a reassuring buzz from the core, along with a warmth that Chase found comforting. He nodded, and continued on his way down.

It only took ten more minutes to get down to the bottom of the stairs, the torches from the room casting light on the last few steps. He stopped before that, knowing that there might be an ambush. He hadn't heard anything, but he couldn't afford to be hasty. He took the last few steps slow, just to make sure he wasn't too loud.

The room was just like every other one in the temple. High ceilings. Columns lining the path way. Torches flickering every so often. At first, Chase thought about taking it slow, seeing all the shadows that danced in the room that could be hiding their enemies. But as his eyes traveled further in, those thoughts were lost to his panic.

Ahead was a dark entrance further into a cavern. But just before that was a large pool or red with a single figure nearby.

"Beyal!"

Chase tossed caution to the wind as he sprinted forward. He couldn't even think as he came closer, nearly tripping over his own feet. He feared the worst as he got closer. He slid to his knees, which practically buckled under their own weight.

His voice caught in his throat as his hands hovered uselessly over the other teen lying on the floor. Eventually he grabbed his shoulder, wincing at how cold it was.

"Beyal! Are you okay? Beyal!"

He tried ignoring the large amount of blood that was all around them, even trailing up the sides of the entrance in front of them. But with how unresponsive the monk was, Chase felt his own breathing getting heavier. He had to calm down! He had to get help! He had to-

He stopped, his ears still ringing from shock. Slowly, he looked at the pool of red around them, finally seeing that it wasn't near the two of them.

After taking another moment to calm his beating heart, Chase finally realized that, besides the cut on his cheek, Beyal wasn't bleeding at all. In fact, it looked like he was just asleep. So where did all of this come from? Was it even blood?

Confused, Chase followed the trails of red that led away from the doorway. He stood up, taking cautious steps towards the darkened ends of the room. He saw something lying in one of the puddles. Grimacing, the teen debated of whether to pick it up or not. There was a flash of green, and his curiosity got the better of him.

Taking it in one hand, he was surprised to see that it was one of Droog's alien cores. He raised a brow in thought. The only one's who had these were the younger versions of the Hand of Destiny and Droog himself. Unless there was someone who did dealings with them there was no way anyone could have cores like these-

Chase stopped, eyes landing on something else that was glistening in the torch light. His stomach lurched at what he saw, but went closer just to be sure.

There in the blood sat another core - an Eklipse core. There was only one person who had red and green cores that he could think of. Chase took a step back, feeling something under his heel. He flinched, gulping as he carefully turned to look. He moved his heel, seeing a pair of glasses that had broken from the step.

He remembered those glasses.

They weren't Bren's. And they weren't X-Ray's.

They were the bookman's.

He stumbled backwards, eyes now darting around the room as he became hyper-aware of the amount of blood everywhere. He could see torn clothes stained in red that were hidden by the shadows, and clumps that were unrecognizable. Chase kept backing up until his legs couldn't take it anymore and he fell backwards.

"I-I-It's-" he wheezed out, unable to form a coherent sentence. This was too much! This was... They were...

There was a groan, and Chase snapped out of his stupor. Slowly, he looked back towards the entrance to the cavern to see Beyal starting to stir. Chase didn't bother getting to his feet, his strength failing right now. Instead, he opted to crawl over, trying to keep his eyes on the other and not the room.

As he got near, he could see that the monk's lips moving. He was mumbling something that was too low to hear, shivering slightly. At least he was somewhat responsive.

Chase tried not to look up again at the room. Instead, he gripped onto Beyal's shirt and curled up as he stared down at the ground. He couldn't get it out of his head. Not with the cold burning his skin and copper smell filling his lungs.

"I... I can't," he panted out. He hadn't seen something like this at all! He knew that there was destruction that came with monsuno, but never something like _this._

Would he even be able to handle the Hand of Destiny or Klipse if this was what they resorted to? Could he bring himself down to their level? And it wasn't just down to him. This was also something that concerned Locke.

And that was the terrifying part.

He knew that if he ordered it, Locke would do it. There were plenty of times that his monsuno had violent outbursts and tried attacking people. And there were a dozen more where he needed to step in and stop Locke before it was too late.

"But they're not people," Chase whispered to himself. That was the crux of the situation. He knew that he needed to stop the Hand!

He felt warmth. Looking towards his belt, he saw Locke's core lighting up. He raised his head a little, seeing the others also glowing slightly. Closing his eyes, he could feel their warmth calming him. Guiding him.

Chase slowly sat up, a new feeling giving him ease in the chilled room. His friends. His family. They all mattered. He needed to keep them safe. And the only way to do it was to get rid of the Hand for good.

But he wouldn't go down to their level to do it. He would find another way.

Chase took his jacket off, tucking it around Beyal's shoulders as he looked to the darkened room ahead. He could feel something inside pulling him in. Whether that was his instincts or his monsuno sight, he didn't care. Because he knew that just ahead was the Hand of Destiny, and that now was the time to stop them.

And he'd do it right. With Locke by his side.

But he wasn't about to drag Beyal along. Instead, he placed two of his own cores down, Batterram and Deepsix. It was strange, but he could feel something from them that was reassuring. He didn't know if monsuno could spin out on their own, but at least he wasn't leaving Beyal alone.

He ran forward, not caring whether it was a trap or not, and prepared himself for the worst.

A few seconds later, another teen stepped out from the shadows, watching as Chase ran without hesitance. Six watched with a blank expression as the darkness swallowed the other. His eyes fell on the white-haired monk still lying on the floor.

HLP

 _The sky was a mix of oranges and reds as the sun started to set, with only a few clouds scattered about. The wind rustled some of the leaves in the trees, but barely rose over a gentle breeze. The town near the coast was now starting to wind down as nighttime approached._

 _A woman stood under one of the trees, gazing out from a top the hill down towards the bustling streets and ocean nearby. It was peaceful for the time of being, and hopefully it would last just as long._

 _There was a small sound, and she looked down at the bundle in her arms. The small black haired baby was now stirring in his sleep. She quickly rocked him gently, humming with a smile as he calmed down. There was a brief moment where the child smiled. He looked a lot like father in that sense._

 _She looked outward again, taking a deep breath of the fresh air all around. It was nice being able to take things easy from time to time. Even though she had her own duties to attend to. But how could she? Not now that she was looking forward to starting a new beginning. Even if his father was still wanting to do research, they would make this work. They would be a family._

 _"Excuse me."_

 _She turned around, seeing five people in white lab coats standing a few feet away. They were pale, and had a disturbing presence to them that disrupted the peaceful air. The wind started to pick up as the group stared down the woman, now clutching the her child closer to her chest._

 _"Who are you," she demanded. They didn't say anything, and she started to tense up, not daring to lose eye contact with them. The one in the middle- the man with green eyes and dark grey hair- took a few steps towards the two. His lips curled into a smile as he looked at the two._

 _"I'm afraid you'll have to come with us," he said, holding a hand out to her. She grit her teeth, knowing that their menacing presence meant something dangerous._

 _There was a shift, and she quickly looked down to the baby in her arms, who was now starting to stir, as if he knew there was something wrong as well. She looked back up, knowing that she would have to confront them._

 _"... First, tell me who you are," she demanded. They all exchanged looks. The one leading let out a sigh._

 _There was an explosion down in the town. She looked and gasped, seeing a plume of smoke rise. Screams from people soon followed, along with roars from some sort of beast. The man in the middle took a step forward, now chuckling darkly under his breath as he slowly stared to approach the two, never taking his eyes off them._

 _"Who we are doesn't matter. Now. You'll do what we say, or we'll burn this city to the ground!"_

 _She took another step backwards, eyes darting back and forth between the group and the city. The fires were blossoming towards the port, which was where the lab that her husband worked in. But surely he wouldn't be there right now! He was supposed to meet her here..._

 _"Petros," the woman with the long hair said, now looking at the two with a suspicious look, "There's something wrong here. Something wrong with those two..."_

 _The man gave an annoyed look, "What do you-"_

 _"Charlemagne!"_

 _The woman jumped, looking towards the pathway that led to the clearing. A man in a S.T.O.R.M. uniform was there, panic on his face as he saw the destruction of the city. He shook his head, going up to the two and taking her shoulders._

 _"We need to get out of here! There's something going on at the-wait. Who are-"_

 _They looked back to the five, who were talking amongst themselves. The man named Petros nodded, then turned to them once again._

 _"It seems that we have been... Misinformed," he said, "Your child's monsuno sight is so powerful, we confused it for your own. You have nothing to fear. You do not need to come with us."_

 _He took a step towards them, eyes narrowed in a glare, "But we will need your child and your husband. Come with us, now."_

 _She tightened her grip, the man next to her noticed immediately. He took a step in front of them in between his family and the strange group._

 _"Now hold on there," he said, "Don't think you can just-"_

 _The five of them raised their hands. Immediately, his voice caught in his throat, and he stumbled backwards. There was a faint green glow surrounding him as he hunched down, eventually collapsing on his knees._

 _"E-Elliot!" she stuttered, then turned back with anger. The baby started to wail._

 _"No wonder your child's sight is so strong. It inherited it from you," Petros said with a sneer, "Well. I guess not all children with powerful monsuno sight gain it from their mothers. Maybe it was just Suno's family."_

 _Charlemagne stood there, looking back and forth between them. Her husband let out a choked sound, falling even lower. He raised his head enough to look at her, pain in his eyes. He shakily reached down to his belt, pulling off a communicator. He threw it at her feet with a gasp._

 _"R-Run...!"_

 _She took a step back, not wanting to. If she had something to fight with then she would. But she had her child to look after. As much as she loathed the idea of running, that's what she needed to do._

 _She grabbed the communicator, turned away, and started to flee down the path, her heart dropping at the pained sounds that her husband cried out._

 _She hated running. She hated being so weak._

 _After getting far enough to where her chest was heaving, she looked down at the communicator and started to pull up the emergency line. What ever those people were doing back there wasn't normal. She had a feeling it had to do with that strange research that was going on in the S.T.O.R.M. laboratories._

 _"H-Hello? Is anyone there? This is s-soldier 529 reporting," she recited, trying to calm down enough to listen in. Her baby stopped crying, now hiccuping lightly, "Is anyone there? Hello?"_

 _"... Soldier!" someone finally picked up, "Hurry! To the pier! There's a-"_

 _The communicator cut off, and she heard an explosion in the distance. What was going on?_

 _"How curious."_

 _She jumped. Somehow the man in the white lab coat was back and standing in front of her. How did he-_

 _"You would think that S.T.O.R.M. would put up more of a fight when it came to guarding its secrets on monsuno," he said, stroking his chin, "Can you imagine how easy it was to get a hold of one of the doctors and get insight on what they were doing?"_

 _She heard footsteps behind her, and saw that two of the others were there. The old man and the woman with short brown hair._

 _"You could've made this easy on yourself and did what we commanded, but I suppose that was our fault," Petros continued, "Now we can't let you live."_

 _"Not that you have anyone else now" the woman joined in, "He's putting up a good fight. But soon even that man back there will be nothing more then a memory."_

 _She gasped as the other two started to chuckle lowly. Her gaze narrowed as she growled under her breath. Whoever these people were, they were obviously trying to destroy her life, taking away everything!_

 _She couldn't let them! She wouldn't!_

 _"Now I don't think I need to repeat myself," Petros said with a raised brow, "Hand over the child before we destroy the both of you!"_

 _"Just try it!" the blonde woman snapped. She threw the communicator as hard as she could at the man, and immediately turned to the other two. She charged at them with a drawn fist._

 _The old man tried throwing a punch, but was obviously out of balance. Charlemagne dodged and pulled his arm forward enough for her to kick his gut. The brown haired woman stared for a second before grabbing at the two. Charlemagne instantly tightened her grip around her child._

 _Before she could react someone came up from behind and bashed something against the side of her face. The other woman took the chance to kick her swiftly in the stomach, effectively ripping her baby away. She was thrown a few feet away, gasping for breath as her child started to wail even harder._

 _"No! Siarl!"_

 _"There there little one," the woman with brown hair said, rocking her arms up and down in a gentle motion, "You'll be of use to us yet."_

 _The leader had a cruel smile as he looked towards the blonde woman. He threw down the broken communicator, "If you wish to blame someone, blame monsuno and the ones who dared meddle in those affairs. Including that scientist that started all this."_

 _There was rustling in the trees, and the other two came lurking out. The stance had changed immediately, as if they had gained a new burst of life. But Charlemagne's eyes landed on the figure they were dragging along. Her hands flew to her mouth as they dropped him, unmoving._

 _"Petros! The monsuno," the older man said. The leader nodded, and turned back to the woman going in shock._

 _"Looks like it's your lucky day," Petros said, "We'll let you live for now, if only because it'd be a shame to lose someone with such fire. I'm sure you could be useful to us in the future."_

 _Before she knew it, the world went to green as she was whirled away from the five, her husband's body, and her Siarl, only to be brought back down to a deserted street of fire and destruction._

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	37. Chapter 37

A/N: Thanks to KathyWood67, ChasexJinjaForever, TacticianLyra, monsuno power, and Glowblades998 for the reviews! I guess I ought to explain some of the last chapter, but not to an entire extent. To answer some of the questions that we (me and beta) have been getting, Sophia was referring to Six. Especially since she was talking to Sebastian, who she could assume wouldn't really know what a clone could be (or at least how he could be part of klipse and chase at the same time). She just put it in simple terms. And describing Six as Chase's half-son would've just been weirder, even if that is more accurate.

As for the flashbacks. Well. That was meant for this chapter but it got too packed (which you'll see why) so I moved it to the previous one. Sorry for the confusion.

And also finally got to the scene that I've been looking forward to ever since Obsession (yay!).

Enjoy!

* * *

She loved chaos! She absolutely loved it! Whether it was watching or taking part, Madea craved the power rush that came from monsuno battles. It made her alive!

"M'lady. We're ready to head out," Tel said as he pulled his hood up closer to his face. She waved a hand at him, still watching the monsuno fight. They were all currently standing on the nearby cliffside far enough away to stay out of the battle, but close enough to see when it would end. She heard footsteps approach.

"Please missus," Lat added, "It's so cold out here! And we've already done plenty. Let's get out of dodge before S.T.O.R.M. decides to come after us instead!"

Madea gave them an annoyed look. As much as she wanted to stay, she had to admit that now was the time for retreat. With S.T.O.R.M. taking damage control and monsuno running free, they could easily slink back out into the mountains. But she wanted to stay, if only to see the results of this battle.

If anything, she was somewhat rooting for Suno's group. She couldn't help it. They were the only ones ever to give her a challenge, so why not hope that they made it out so they could fight her.

The sound of someone grunting got their attention. Madea turned towards the nearest snow bank. She noticed that there was a hole there, probably from some monsuno digging or something. But then she also noticed that there was a metal hook sticking onto the side that she recognized as a grappling hook.

A short minute later, a tall man with hair sticking up popped out panting. He mumbled something under his breath, standing up with a huff.

"Oh ho ho! Who do we have here?" Madea smirked as she sauntered over. Dom Pyro glanced up at her, frowning deeply. For some reason he seemed to resent the woman, but that was probably from the fact that they were in competition with each other as Klipse's hired hands.

"What're you doing here?" he sneered. Obviously Klipse had failed to tell either of them about who was all here.

"Oh you know," she said, putting a hand on her hip, "Just here for the show! Suno and his little crew have been up a good fight if I must say so myself. Though admittedly, I think it's about time we headed out."

She was saying that more for the rest of them. They had been begging to leave ever since the second wave of S.T.O.R.M. came along. Darkspin had spent their fair share of time in jail cells, and they weren't about to go back. But she also wasn't afraid of the little soldiers anymore. Now that she had monsuno why would she? If anything, it would offer a challenge when it came to the chase.

Dom Pyro raised a brow at her before letting out a laugh, "Really? Do you take me for a fool? You're probably just trying to trick me into leaving so you can get all the action."

Madea rolled her eyes. Of course Klipse would hire someone rather dim witted. At the thought of the man, she couldn't help but wonder where he was. That was one of the reasons that she had decided to wait. They still needed their payment. She'd probably get it wired, but the fact that the scientist was missing during this fight didn't escape her attention.

"If I wanted to save all the action for myself I wouldn't be standing here," she said, looking back towards the fields of snow, "In fact, why weren't you out there?"

Dom Pyro let out a sigh, "Klipse gave me the job of looking after the wild core bomb. The little mouseys got the better of me though, using a monsuno when I couldn't even call out my pretty pretty."

Madea raised a brow. From what she got out of that, was that there was a bomb in the temple. whether or not it went off was a different story entirely. But that didn't concern them. Not when they were about to leave.

"In that case we ought to make haste on leaving," she said, then turned back to the other mercenary with a smirk,"You can join us on our way if you would like."

He gave her a look.

"I did offer you at one point," she said, twisting the ends of her hair, "Back when we were in that desert. Surely you've come to your senses by this point."

Dom Pyro watched her for a second before bursting into laughter.

"I'm afraid you're talking to the wrong person. My senses have been gone for quite awhile!" he giggled. The woman rolled her eyes.

"You know that's not what I meant," she said, then glanced out towards the battle field, "Something big is coming, and we're trying to get out of dodge. I would think that you would be one of the first rats to jump ship as well."

"I am no rat!" he barked, "And I'm certainly no mousey either!"

She laughed behind her hand. Obviously Klipse was losing his touch if he had to rely on hired hands like this guy. Before she could even retort, there was shuffling from a few feet away. They all looked, grabbing their cores just in case is was soldier that wandered off too far. When the figure came close enough, they all relaxed, seeing that it was just Klipse's butler.

"What're you all doing out here? Shouldn't you all be fighting?" he hissed out.

"Shouldn't you be groveling around to Klipse?" Dom Pyro chuckled. The old man glared at the assassin, almost looking like he'd attack the other if he got the chance.

"So where _is_ our dearest Klipse?" Madea said, trying to hide her smile, "A hot-blooded man like him should be out here with the rest of us!"

"I'm afraid I can't get a hold of him," Hargrave said grimly. He looked down at the container he was holding. The two mercenaries stared with curiousity, seeing that it was some sort of monsuno energy inside, "I had been there when he engaged with Doctor Suno-"

"Oh! Daddy Suno is fighting?" Madea chirped.

"Yes. Well, he was when I last saw him," the old man said, eyeing the woman with annoyance, "But as of right now, he's MIA. So I suppose that means you are all free to go. Your payments will be sent within the next twelve hours."

Madea smirked, nodding to the rest of her crew. They would be pleased to get an official 'okay' on whether or not they could leave. She still wanted to see what would happen in the end, but that wasn't necessarily worth it at the moment. She already knew from experience that Chase and his little friends would probably find a way to turn the tides and come out on top as usual.

She turned to Dom Pyro, "Well? Are you going to leave now that the butler said we could?"

He folded his arms with a hum, smile still present, "Well. I would love to get a piece of Chase Suno and the rest of them, but I also don't want to end up at S.T.O.R.M.. Call it a hunch, but there's definitely something big coming this way. At least it looked that way when I left the little mouseys in the cavern back there."

Madea raised a brow at his ramblings. He sounded a little too serious, and that made her somewhat uneasy (though she wouldn't show it). But either way, they needed to leave. There were plenty of days to live for another fight, and waiting for Chase to show up wasn't very interesting in the cold.

HLP

They had traveled far from the battle of S.T.O.R.M.. But even with the distance, Bren couldn't shake the monsuno that were following him. He could see through the snow storm that they were some sort of mixture of bats, lizards, and ravens, all with scales and feathers sticking out in a horrid mess.

He also recognized that they were from that doctor lady, Moto, but that didn't make it any easier to get away. Especially since they didn't seem to have a limit. He was counting on that, if only because he wanted to focus on finding Tango instead of fighting.

"Neo-Quickforce, dive down into the canyon!" Bren ordered. They dropped suddenly, making his stomach do flips. He looked up to see the monsuno still following. Crag!

There was a shout, followed by a blast of green in the clouds above.

There was no telling what was going on up there, but if Tango was in trouble, he needed to get there! And these weird monsuno were just going to get in the way.

"Ring Cannon!"

Neo-Quickforce stopped, swiftly flying backwards as the other monsuno flew past. It released a blast for a direct hit.

"Keep going buddy!" he exclaimed. Neo-Quickforce didn't let up, driving the three monsuno into the cliffside until it crumbled into large chunks. They fell with shrill cries into the gorge.

"Good job," Bren sighed, patting his monsuno. It let out a huff, most likely exhausted from the chase. He looked down to its core, knowing it only had a minute left. A scream that tore through the air made him jump, "Tango!"

He didn't even need to signal his monsuno as it soared straight up into the clouds. Bren held on tight, not knowing what they were up for. As they got up at the top near the cliffside, Bren could faintly see the outlines of two figures, one of whom was surrounded in a strange white light. He gasped as they became clearer.

"I'm impressed monsuno," Triah panted out, kneeling in the snow, "Somehow you still have a lot of fight in you, even after our encounter months ago that left you without a physical form."

Tango was there, standing tall as her jet-black hair whipped with the wind. Bren stared with wide eyes at her's, which were glowing white like the air surrounding her. Both her armor and the monsuno man's cloak were torn and ripped, as if they had been clawing at each other ferociously. But somehow, she didn't look tired in the least bit. The man did, however, and Bren was surprised to see the green flesh and fur on his arms stretch towards his back. Just how mutated was he?

"I guess I'll just have to drag you out of that girl's body like I did to that other monsuno in the monk boy months ago," Triah laughed, "This time I'll be sure to make it painful!"

Tango let out a roar, surging forward with a fist. The monsuno man dove out of the way as she hit the snow and rock, tossing it all in the air.

Bren was at a loss of what to do. He didn't know what was wrong with Tango, or why she wasn't using her monsuno to fight this guy, or even where he had come from. But Bren knew he had to help her somehow!

"Neo-Quickforce, shoot as soon as you see the weird monsuno guy," he said close to the winged beast, knowing that their presence had yet to be detected. It nodded, gliding over towards the side ledge to stand on firm ground. Bren watched closely, trying to keep the snow from hitting his glasses.

There was a glimmer of green, just as Tango got up and started looking around.

"Over there!"

Neo-Quickforce let out a blast. It hit the snow bank where they had seen light, hearing a grunt of pain. Tango seemed confused as she stared towards it.

"Tango!" Bren shouted as he jumped off Neo-Quickforce and immediately ran towards her. He could feel his monsuno go back into it's core, but didn't pay much attention as Tango turned around. There was surprise on her face, that was quickly replaced with recognition.

" **Bren!** -ah!"

She gripped her head, letting out a cry. Bren ran faster, nearly falling over in the snow that suddenly got deeper. Before he knew it, he sank down to his chest, flailing his arms a little.

Tango stumbled, the air around her starting to fizzle out. As she tried to stand, a jet black tentacle shot out from the snow and wound itself around her waist. There was a ragged breath as the monsuno man stumbled out.

"You accursed beast!" he panted. With a shout, he lifted Tango off her feet and overhead, slamming her into the ground. Bren gasped, now trying to fight his way through the snow. But the more he struggled, the more he sank.

"I really hate you things," Triah said with a glare, now stalking over towards the black-haired girl. She let out a pained gasp, struggling to get to her hands and knees, "You brought ruin to this world. You brought ruin to our lives! You and that damned scientist Jeredy Suno!"

Both his hands clenched tightly into fists. Bren could see some sort of green energy starting to form around them. Tango rolled out of the way as he threw a punch. She took a few light steps backwards, and jumped for a kick.

Bren frantically dug the snow away towards his pockets, wincing at the cold and shuddering hard. He barely got far before he realized that he was sinking still, and would probably take ages to get to his cores (if he didn't freeze to death). Tango's pained cries got his attention, and he looked up to see her arm caught in the monsuno man's grip, now twisting slowly towards one side. Her eyes flared angrily in a white blaze.

"Don't even try it. I can tell the girl you're possessing is now fighting back," he said with a frown. He turned towards Bren, who stopped as they crossed gazes. He let out a scoff as he turned back to Tango, "You probably didn't count on emotions getting the better of her. But then again, I'm not one to talk."

She tried throwing her other fist at him. With a loud 'SNAP' she cried out and fell to the ground, cradling her arm where it had twisted too hard. As Triah stood over her, waiting for some sort of retaliation, Bren found that he was no longer panicked.

He was _furious_.

Quickly taking off his bag, he started searching for anything to use as a weapon or shovel or something! The first thing he brought out was the core tablet. He groaned to himself. Of course that would be the only thing he'd have.

"Get out of there monsuno!" Triah demanded, holding Tango up by her neck, "You're killing her slowly, so hurry up and we can get on with things."

Bren looked down at the tablet, then back at the two. The device had been taking a beating all day, between Chase throwing it and Bren hitting the creep that attacked Alpha. It was sturdy enough, so maybe...

He looked back up, seeing Tango struggling to get out of his grasp, one arm hanging to her side while the other tried to claw at his hand. It was then that Bren noticed light under the shreds of the monsuno man's cloak. Something on his back was glittering green, and it immediately reminded him of that black-haired kid's hand. If his hunch was right, then that was probably the guy's weak spot.

"Well. Here goes nothing!" Bren said, and took a breath. Triah's other hand started to flare up again, as did his back.

Bren twisted his hips, and threw the Core Tablet like a disc as hard as he could. It cut through the wind and got a direct hit.

Whatever Dr. Suno used as the material was definitely durable, as the Core Tablet surprisingly didn't shatter into a million pieces.

It struck fast with a loud crack, and the man let out a roar of pain. He dropped Tango immediately and hunched over, the tablet sticking out of his back. Bren let out a gasp as he saw that it was actually stuck in some sort of green crystal.

"W-Who!?" Triah gasped angrily, then turned towards Bren. The teen immediately regretted his action, realizing that there was nowhere to hide. He started grabbing at the snow in a feeble attempt to get free. Triah took one step towards the teen before he let out another shout. Tango was standing behind him, eyes blazing as her fist connected with his back with another resounding crackle. He stumbled, letting out a raspy groan turning around to face her.

" **Don't even think about it!"** Tango hissed, her voice echoing with rage. She drew her fist back for another punch. He somehow dodged, taking her wrist and throwing her over towards Bren. She rolled a few times, sinking into the deep snow like Bren had. She laid there motionless.

"I'm going to destroy you two!" Triah exclaimed. Bren gulped, terrified at how the monsuno half of his face looked when enraged. The teen looked down, reaching far enough to take Tango's hand.

"Tango! W-wake up!" he said frantically, looking up and down as the monsuno man stalked towards them. He had trouble walking, stumbling for a brief moment before standing a bit taller and coming to a stop a few feet away.

"... I remember you," he said, staring at Bren, "You were there with that monk boy in the ruins. And you came back with that white beast."

Bren gulped, trying not to look fearful. Triah chuckled briefly before wincing in pain.

"Normally I wouldn't want to kill a bunch of children," he said somewhat bitterly, "But seeing that you figured out our weakness... There's no way I'm letting you walk away alive."

He inhaled deeply, chest rising. He let another roar as a blast erupted from his mouth. Bren could only watch as it soared towards the pair.

It was only a foot away when a white flash stopped it from hitting.

Both Bren and the monsuno man stared. When Bren looked up, he could see the other's gaze looking past him. He turned around, letting out a gasp.

Floating in the air behind him was the white owl monsuno that was in the desert.

It no longer looked grotesque, and instead had a splendid air to it that filled the area with a strange warmth. As much as Bren wanted to question what was going on, he couldn't bring himself to speak, now in awe as the monsuno's eyes set on the monsuno man.

And it didn't hesitate to charge at him.

Triah had a second to react before it tackled straight into him. In that time he shot another quick blast towards the two teens. It fell short, and instead knocked them backwards. Bren let out a gasp as he was tossed in the air, and then a shout as he realized there was no more cliff.

They were falling.

"Tango!" he shouted, seeing her limp figure dropping fast. He reached for her, managing to take her shoulders in his arms. A high pitched screech below got his attention. He turned with a gasp, seeing the three flying monsuno from before now coming up towards the two. He clenched his eyes shut, gripping tightly onto Tango. At least the two of them would go down together.

"Spritelight! Shining Bind!"

A yellow wave intercepted the purple monsuno, launching them all back. Before he knew it, Bren was being caught by a flash of yellow, landing safely at the bottom of the ravine with Tango still in his arms. As he landed in the snow and adjusted his glasses, he spotted a Strike Squad uniform.

"Great timing there, Alpha," he sighed, adjusting his grip on Tango and setting her down. As he glanced up, he was surprised to see fluffy orange hair instead of Alpha's sleeked red look.

The teen in front of him noticed, and turned around with bright green eyes. He gave a sheepish smile.

"H-Hi there!" he chirped with a wave. Bren blinked. Was he imagining this? Or did he faint and was now dreaming up being saved by some unknown kid. The orange-haired teen noticed his staring, and held out a hand.

"Sorry for the scare back there. The name's Lux Ap-I-I mean, One!" the teen quickly corrected, "Strike Squad Operative One! Yeah. That's right."

Bren raised a brow. Another Strike Squad member? When did that happen? Tango never mentioned them before. Moreover, Bren had to resist the urge to make a joke about his operative name, if only because now wasn't the time. Instead, he turned his attention back to the raven-haired girl.

Her eyes were half open, no longer bright but dull. Her breathing had also become shallow, not even audible in the blizzard. Bren felt his breath hitch.

"T-Tango?" he asked faintly, bringing her closer. He placed one hand on her cheek, wincing at how cold it was, "... Jun? Are you..."

"What's wrong?" The orange-haired teen asked with curiosity. Before Bren could respond, there was a shrill cry above them. They looked up to see the three flying monsuno from before now hovering overheard. Bren tightened his grip on Tango, reaching for Neo-Quickforce's core.

" **B-Bren"**

He gasped, quickly looking back down to Tango. She reached a hand out, and gently placed it on the core in his hand.

 **"... Chase Suno is in danger,"** her voice said faintly, " **The monsuno... Are in danger. You must hurry back. They managed to get inside."**

"Wh-what are you-"

 **"Please Bren."**

Her hand wound around his, and then there was a burst of white. Bren let out a gasp, seeing images of the temple flashed before his eyes. It happened so fast he didn't have time to even process it all, getting a mixture of different feelings rather then ideas. The shrieks from the monsuno above them brought him out of his stupor.

"You two alright there?" the teen asked, seeing the distant look in Bren's eyes. He couldn't respond, instead staring up at the three monsuno. This new guy (Lux was it?) noticed his and Tango's appearance, and quickly started putting together what had happened.

It was as if a switch had gone off, and suddenly the friendly teen was staring down the three monsuno in front of them with defiance.

"Spritelight," he said lowly, then let out a shout, "Prism sword!"

There was a brief yellow flash high in the air before shards of rainbow crystals came raining down on the purple monsuno. As they struck, the crystals briefly flashed before bursting into a flurry of explosions that reminded Bren of fireworks.

"Yeah-ha-ha!" Lux cheered as the three monsuno crashed to the snow, switching off again to a more lighthearted tone. Bren's shoulders slumped in surprise.

Who was this guy?

HLP

"Longfang, Fang Burst!"

She couldn't believe how bad they were getting beat. Usually this was something that they had dealt with, but not to this extent. Jinja gave a quick look around as Shellshot threw back one of the nearest monsuno. She could faintly see Alpha, now in command of the remaining few S.T.O.R.M. monsuno. He seemed to be holding up enough, but it was hard to tell. Not only was he exhausted, but he was also trying to maintain control of more monsuno then anyone ever has.

Closer to her was Bravo. He was fairing somewhat better, but the large wound on his back must've been getting to him. The blonde's cheeks were getting rather flushed, and there was a lack of focus in his eyes that was lingering for a bit too long.

"D-Deadfall," he stuttered out, "Elemental... Elemental Blaze!"

The dragon-like monsuno was currently wrapped around one of Moto's, which looked like it could've been a hybrid of Exo but smaller. Jinja shuddered, remembering the last time she had seen that monsuno.

Deadfall unleashed a blast down at the beast, and it let out a whine. That last attack must've exhausted it, as it laid out on the ground while Deadfall uncoiled itself away.

"Good job Bravo!" Jinja shouted, "Shellshot, Energy Ram!"

The turtle groaned, and charged out towards the small version of Exo. The two crashed into the snow, Shellshot ending up on top. Farther along, Jinja could see Longfang chasing down two more. Who knew that Bren's monsuno were so strong? Just when she thought they were getting somewhere, a laugh in the air sent a chill down her spine.

"Oh no."

Off towards the temple, she could see a figure coming out and recognized the way their hair stood up. It was that gray-haired creep from before, though he probably couldn't see her so far away at the moment (not that she was quick to go over there). She surveyed around for Alpha, knowing that he'd be in danger as well.

Her sight didn't go far as Bravo fell to his knees, and then slumped into the snow completely.

"Bravo!" she exclaimed, and held out Shellshot's core. As soon as it came back she bolted towards the other, not caring about going straight through the battle. Bren had already taken off, so the last thing they needed was to be down another teammate!

As soon as she moved, one of the purple monsuno spotted her, letting out a howl. It charged straight for her. Jinja stopped in her tracks as it lunged and jumped high towards her.

"Fleetfoot, Petit Meteor!" a voice exclaimed. Jinja saw something yellow dash in between her and the incomplete version of Exo. She ignored it, seeing Deadfall immediately retreat back into it's core at the sight of its fallen controller.

"Bravo!" she gasped. As she came closer, Jinja could see a girl with two long brown ponytails kneeling down next to him, also wearing a Strike Squad uniform. When she got down, Jinja could see Bravo's face was contorting in pain and flushed, with eyes tightly clenched shut. She quickly looked around for a sign of Alpha. Maybe he could find someone to help!

"Don't worry there, love. We came prepared," the girl said with a smile, turning to look over her shoulder. Raising a brow, Jinja followed her line of sight to see two more teen hoping right off another unfamiliar yellow monsuno. Only one of them was wearing a S.S. uniform, having an indistinguishable figure and face thanks to the mask that they were wearing. The other was a girl with a pair of oval glasses, wavy brown hair, and one of the fluffiest S.T.O.R.M. snow jackets she had ever seen. Below that Jinja could make out a medical uniform and felt some relief.

By the time the two came over, the girl was slightly out of breath, hastily putting her hair up.

"H-How bad is he?" she asked, kneeling down.

"Looks like a deep graze to me, but I think he's also got a cold," the girl with ponytails shrugged nonchalantly. The other girl nodded, pulling out a variety of bottles and gauze. Jinja couldn't help but stare. Not at Bravo anymore, but at the ones in front of her. She had never seen any of them on the cloud carrier before. Who _were_ they? Before she could ask, the girl with ponytails suddenly let out a cry of panic.

"Look out!"

Jinja turned to see the small version of Exo charging towards the group. She grabbed onto Shellshot's core, but was stopped as the masked figure stepped in front of the group with an outstretched hand.

"Glowsting, Dreaded Wave!"

From the snow arose another yellow monsuno, taking the purple one off guard and crashing to the side. Jinja blinked, and could see a yellow core in the masked teen's hand.

"Okay okay. Who are all of you, and why do you have monsuno?" Jinja demanded. The girl with glasses fumbled with a bottle, now flushing furiously at the red-haired girl's staring.

"W-Well. Uh. M-My name is Rose," she said, trying to stay looking down as Bravo made a pained grunt. His eyes slowly started opening, though he didn't seem lucid.

"Wow! I haven't seen you blush this bad since that one class we had together!" the girl with the ponytails giggled, "But wasn't that because you had a crush on the professor? Because I can see why you'd-"

"Itzel," the masked one said, glancing over their shoulder, "You're being annoying."

"You're supposed to call me Four!" the girl names Itzel huffed. Jinja raised a brow.

"O-kay," she said, looking between them all, "So... You're all part of S.T.O.R.M. or something?"

"What?! You've never heard of me?" Itzel shrieked a bit, "I mean. I understand everyone else, but you should at least recognize me from television!"

Jinja gave a baffled look. Obviously she stepped into some sort of alternate universe where S.T.O.R.M. was willing to hire anyone. Of course, she wasn't one to complain considering how she and the rest of Core Tech were part of the army without even getting through high school.

Bravo let out a groan, followed by a hiss of pain as Rose started dabbing a cloth around the reddened scratches.

"I'm part of the medical team in the base closest to here," she said, now completely focused on cleaning Bravo's wounds, "I... Was part of Strike Squad at one point, but it became a little too much."

Jinja nodded. That made some sense, though she had to wonder what type of things that Charlemagne made the Strike Squad go through as their training. Alpha and the others had never said anything, but that was probably a bad sign.

Bravo started murmuring something, and tried to get up to his hands and knees. He let out a gasp, and slumped back down. He noticed the others, and shook his head.

"I-I'm fine," he stuttered, shivering as a gust of wind came up, "You have to go help Jon and Trey."

"Commander Trey? He's here too?" Jinja asked. In the height of the moment, she hadn't seen him since they arrived, but she hadn't seen many of her own teammates. And that was starting to get worrying.

Bravo had a grim face as he stared down at the snow.

"I'm... Not sure if it would help at this point," he said, then looked to Rose, "But you at least gotta look at him. It might not be too late."

"Too late?" Jinja repeated, "Why? What happened?!"

He didn't say anything, instead shakily standing up. Both Jinja and Rose were up as well in case he fell. The soldier with a mask watched them for a moment, before turning to the girl with ponytails.

"Itzel. Take Bravo and Rose. Make sure they get to Commander Trey and any others who are injured," they said, "Try to stay out of the danger. Lucian and Scar are busy on the far side, so no one's around to bail you out."

"But I want to find my Lux!" Itzel whined, then started to grumble after getting a look shot at her. She motioned for the other two to follow, Rose offering Bravo a hand as he stumbled along.

Jinja noticed Bayonet's core lying in the snow where Bravo had fallen. She scooped it up, knowing that the rhino-like monsuno was still somewhere around. She would have to take control now, especially now that Bravo was out for the count. She didn't ask for Deadfall's core, however. There was a good chance that these so called Strike Squad members might underestimate the fight. So even if he's injured, Bravo could still at least use the extra defense.

"… We're Commander Trey's extra team. One that he's been training for a certain reason," the masked teen suddenly said, staring off at the two monsuno wrestling in the snow, "He mentioned to us how younger people seem to be more… Receptive to monsuno battles. And ever since the successes of these teams called Strike Squad and Core Tech, he figured that there might as well be more troops of the same caliber."

Jinja stared then walked over to the other teen, she clenched onto Bayonet's core even tighter.

"By the way," she said, "I never caught your name. Or are you like Alpha and the rest and have a code name?"

The small Exo let out a roar, only to be jumped on by Bayonet. Jinja looked down to see it's energy still at half. At least she would have time to recharge Shellshot.

"Kumara," the other teen said, bringing up their yellow core, "Also known as Three."

Jinja nodded, and the two looked out towards the field with new found energy. Even with reinforcements, she knew that they would have to stay alert. Especially with the gray-haired creep running around in the shadows.

HLP

"Well well well. Who do we have here."

Charlemagne stood there, blade raised at the small group as she stepped towards them. She had to restrain herself from charging forward, if only because she knew that would be suicide. After taking off from the cloud hopper, it had only taken her a few minutes to go straight down towards the darkness. And it took her only seconds to run into Tallis afterwards. Of course the bumbling fool was dim enough to tell her where the Hand of Destiny was, but that just worked in her favor. She didn't bother to linger with him, knowing that it would only be a limited time before S.T.O.R.M. got into the temple and apprehended them.

The two in front of her were crouched down next to the third, both eyeing her with curious stares. The brown-haired teen saw her line of sight and drew the hood up on the one lying still, keeping them from her view. Didn't matter. She would destroy them all eventually.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Ehna said, rising from where he was. She kept her gaze fixated on him, but was aware of the other two, if only because she knew what they were probably capable of.

"Though I have to say... You don't exactly have that same regal air to you as you did before," he continued, "But I guess that's what happens when you become prisoner of S.T.O.R.M. right?"

She couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Admittedly, she wasn't exactly suited up for a battle, considering she didn't have Driftblade and was still in her prison uniform with a stolen sword and snow jacket, but that didn't phase her. If anything, it excited her.

"I'd rather be a prisoner of S.T.O.R.M. zen a prisoner of the Hand of Destiny," she said, griping the blade with both hands now. The teen looked amused, then shook his head.

"As much as I like your company, we have bigger things to deal with," he said, then turned to the woman who was still kneeling down, "Take care of her."

The woman stood, and Charlemange couldn't help but take a step back at her size. She didn't waver though, tightening her grip on the sword.

"Don't think zat I'll go easy on you," she grinned, "None of you deserve mercy!"

The woman raised a brow, then shrugged.

"Why should I?" she asked, turning to the teen next to her, "I'm sure you can take care of her can't you?"

The teen looked genuinely surprised. The tall woman had a bemused smirk on her face, hardly paying any attention to Charlemagne. The blond woman growled. How dare they ignore her!

"Where is this defiance coming from?" Ehna frowned, "Don't you remember what I can do to you? Or even what I can do to-"

Charlemagne charged forward at the white-haired woman with a shout, her steel blade clashing into one that was made of crystal. From her free hand, the woman produced another, raising high to strike down. Charlemagne saw, quickly sidestepping and jumped back. She went in for a thrust, getting it diverted. She stumbled for a brief second before diving down and rolling out of range.

"You do know I'm kind of on your side right now?" the white-haired woman asked. Charlemagne snorted.

"Of course you are," she said, rolling her eyes. There were only two sides in her mind: those who were against her, and herself. No one could be trusted, not even the closest of troops.

Trey was an obvious example of that.

Charlemagne turned to quickly see three daggers soar towards her. She swiped wide, stopping two and deflecting the last so that it only grazed her arm. Charlemagne winced a little, but kept her attention forward. Little wounds didn't matter in the long run.

Ehna gave a small chuckle, then looked to the white-haired woman.

"How about this Duo. Take out the old commandant, and I'll go ahead and give you the cure for Triah," he said. She let out a small gasp, then narrowed her eyes.

"Don't give me that look," he said, raising his hands, "I've already told you were taking Exi's last shard, so that's one less that's needed. And I know that cure is something you probably want for your lover boy."

She frowned deeply, standing up straight and throwing one of her blades aside. She turned to Charlemagne with a serious gaze. The blonde took a step back.

"Promise me right now that you'll make sure he's set free from this cursed life," Duo said, glancing quickly at the teen. Ehna nodded.

In a flash, she charged straight for Charlemagne.

Their blades clashed, though it was obvious that there was a strength difference. Charlemagne was forced back a few feet, trying to adjust her grip. She jumped back, letting their blades slide past each other. She held her blade up to her face as the tall woman gave a vertical slice.

"How sad. You come to a fight for your life, and you bring a dull blade," the tall woman scoffed, "Even that S.T.O.R.M. brat from before knew better."

Charlemagne narrowed her gaze. Her eyes swept around the room, quickly noting the worn out and fallen columns and ceiling, and stalagmites dangling overhead. She stirred her attention back to the woman before her. The old commandant twisted her blade enough for the two to slide around each other. She jumped back again, the two now slowly moving in a circle.

"You don't need ze right tools when you have deceit and cunning on your side!" Charlemagne hissed, then charged again. She sidestepped just before the other came close and went for another wide strike.

Charlemagne had a brief second to block. The crystal blade sliced close to her face, cutting a few blonde strands away.

Duo changed her stance, now delivering blow after blow in a never ending flurry. Charlemange could only hold her sword up in a feeble attempt to block.

They traveled along the room, and the old commandant could only direct her focus on the one in front of her, knowing that if she dared to look away then it would be her life. She glanced up quickly as the room started to quake.

"You might want to pay attention," Duo said between strikes, "You're already having trouble keeping up, old woman."

Charlemagne clicked her teeth in annoyance, nearly tripping over the tall woman's discarded blade as they edged closer to the wall. When she stumbled, Duo stopped briefly and delivered a kick to her stomach.

The blonde let out a gasp, slamming into the wall. She caught herself before she could fall, letting out a labored breath. When she opened her eyes, she winced, seeing the crystal blade pointed close to her face.

"Walk away," Duo said, "Or throw down your sword and make this easy on all of us."

Charlemagne let out a laugh, gripping onto the wall behind her to stand up a bit taller.

"I'm afraid you'll just have to strike," she said, throwing her blade down. She raised her hands in a defeated motion, "I 'ave lost too much to go back in shame."

"You're making this too easy!" Duo said. She pulled her arm back for a thrust and Charlemagne watched as it went straight for her chest.

In S.T.O.R.M. training, it was always taught to fight til the last second, since that could be the turn of the battle. But there was also another lesson that the blonde had learned over the years. That if the enemy could be taken off guard for any reason, then the fight can be won in seconds.

And that's what she did.

As soon as the crystal blade drew close, she flicked her wrist, revealing a small grey canister in her sleeve, and pushed down on the top. White smoke filled the air as she stepped out of the way enough so that the blade stuck into the junction between her left shoulder and collar bone. She didn't even blink.

Instead, she tossed the canister at the ceiling, knocking into the shaky stalagmites. One fell straight towards the white-haired woman.

Duo looked up, taking her blade away from Charlemagne and jumping out of the way as the stone crashed into the ground. She looked briefly backwards towards the other two cloaked figures, getting cut off by the smoke.

Just as she took a step towards them, the sound of flesh being cut filled the air.

She stared blankly at the blade now piercing though her stomach- her own blade that she had thrown aside. There were a few sparks that went off, and she pulled the jacket and shirt down enough to see the sword sticking through the small metal disk, which was now reduced to scraps. Quick footsteps came behind, and Duo turned in time to see the blond woman holding onto her blade with a shaky grip.

Duo couldn't even move, finding her strength ebbing away, "H-How?!"

"Even if you have a dull blade, it's all in the execution!" Charlemagne said with a smirk. She didn't hesitate to drive her metal blade through the tall woman's back. It came up straight through the green stone in her chest.

Duo gave a choked sound, her breath catching in her throat.

"Oh ho ho. Not bad wouldn't you think," Charlemagne closely said, twisting her blade enough for cracks to form on both it and the crystal. The white-haired woman gasped, trembling hands flying up to the metal.

Charlemagne didn't give her the chance to react, pulling the blade out and kicking the woman back toward the brown-haired teen. The first blade was still stuck in the woman's stomach as she landed, chest now shakily rising and falling. Charlemagne raised her blade up at them again, now pointed at Ehna.

"Now. You tell me right now where my son iz, and I won't do ze same to you!"

He stared at her, hardly bothered by the fight. Instead, the teen pretended to think for a moment, letting out a hum as he ignored Duo's gasps for breath.

"I can't say I remember. In fact. Did you even have a kid?" he mocked. This made her livid, and she charged forward with a shout. He dodged her wide slice, diving down and rolling behind her. She brought her sword around just in time to block a dagger he threw, but got nicked in the leg by another.

"Getting tired are we?" he said, standing near the fallen woman and let out a sigh, "You could've had a deal with us when we first showed up on the cloud carrier, but you were the one who insisted-"

"Don't play dumb with me!" she screamed, "I know you still 'ave my Siarl! None of S.T.O.R.M. reported finding a boy when zey swept through that retched cavern!"

Her sword quivered for a second, and she had to bite her lip til it bled to calm herself. His face grew serious, before going into a mocking laugh.

"... Tell me dear Commandant," Ehna said, obviously not intimidated, "When exactly did we ruin your life again? Eleven years?"

He put his thumb to his chin in mock thought, "I guess that would make your dear Siarl twelve or thirteen. Wouldn't you say?"

She stayed silent, eyes narrowed as she kept her blade in front, unamused. He suddenly let out a laugh. He took a step towards her, but stopped as a hand tugged at his cloak. Ehna looked down to see Duo now trying to get back up.

"I-I can't," she heaved. His eyes were cold, and he knelt down next to her.

"I'll keep my promise to you," he said, "I'll free him from this life the same way that you will be."

She let out another choked sound as he drove his fist into her chest. Her hand grabbed his arm, trying to fight it off. Ehna smirked, swiftly pulling his hand away to reveal a large green stone. Charlemagne recognized it as a monsuno meteor fragment.

The white-haired woman's breathing stopped, and she dropped down. Ehna stood up, admiring the stone as the woman's body started to turn to green dust.

"Well. I guess that's three," he said, then looked to Charlemagne. She tightened her grip on her blade. It only took her a second to realize that he wasn't paying attention to her anymore. Instead, his eyes had fallen onto the other figure on the ground.

She had nearly forgotten about that one. With a huff, she ran over to them. She was only a foot away when something got stuck in her leg and she fell. Her blade shattered on the ground, defeated by the last battle. Charlemagne let out a gasp, seeing a knife sticking out of her calf.

That didn't stop her. Not when she was this close to answers! Picking up a piece of her broken blade, she got atop the other smaller figure still on the ground. They let out a groan, but didn't react.

She gripped the shard of metal in her hand even tighter, letting the blood from her hand run free as she grabbed the back of their jacket and brought the shard near.

"Now," she sighed, staring fiercely at the brown-hairedteen, "You'll tell me where my child is before I slit this one's throat!"

He looked back and forth between them, silently planning his next move. He let out a chuckle,"You ought to ask the one you're on top of, but I'm guessing he can't exactly respond right now."

Charlemagne raised a brow, glancing down at the cloaked figure. She could tell that by how limp they were, they were most likely unconscious. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. This was just another trick! She looked back to the other teen, who was now circling around her with crossed arms.

"It makes me wonder. What you had said before about a child," he said, trailing off. He snapped his fingers.

"Ah, yes," he said mockingly, "I remember. The Hand of Destiny needed more test subjects. They had been abducting people for years. Decades. Until finally they realized: it wasn't the amount of people that mattered. It was their age."

She adjusted her grip on the metal shard, trying to keep a hold of the other's cloak. She couldn't move them all that much though, noticing a knife sticking into their hand and into the ground.

"Suno was a prime example I'd say," the teen continued. His face suddenly distorted, transforming into a grey haired man with a pale face and purple markings just below his eyes. Charlemagne gasped. It was Petros, "His energy is in its prime right now. Along with his youth, there's the combination of Jeredy and Sophia Suno's DNA that he inherited."

The man's face distorted again, this time turning into a woman with black hair pulled back.

"So they found out that family also mattered. Lineage of who was directly related to the five tribes," Her voice said. Charlemange tightened her grip, glaring hatefully as the teen continued to mock her with those faces.

"They figured if they could use those advantages to perfect the shapeshifter cores, then they would be unstoppable," The teen continued, now transforming into an old grey haired man.

"They thought about taking Chase. But with Jeredy in S.T.O.R.M. and the well drying up, there was no possible way, especially after managing to get a hold of his wife. So they looked to an alternate. Other's who have connections to monsuno sight."

Another face from the Hand. She remembered that face as the brown-haired woman who ripped Siarl from her arms.

"What is youth but a child. And even more youthful, but a baby. Who's connection to the world has barely started. And who's exposure could be reached to it's fullest potential," he gave a laugh, now looking like a man with brown-hair pulled back, "Imagine their surprise to see that a lowly officer of S.T.O.R.M. - a nobody- had a child with another soldier that had a monsuno sight that could potentially be as strong as Suno's?"

His face finally shifted back, lips now in a knowing smirk, "And imagine their surprise when they found out he was the final component towards creating the shapeshifter cores?"

"Stop wasting my time!" she shouted, raising the metal piece high into the air, "I know what you're getting at, so you better hurry and answer me already-"

The sound of footsteps were heard in the distance. They both turned towards the entrance to the cavern. Ehna let out a gasp.

"Suno!" he said faintly, then looked to the blonde woman. His gaze went to her and then to the figure on the ground, silently debating something. He finally let out a sigh.

"If you really want, go ahead and strike your blade," he said, then turned away slightly, "I already have what I need here, and you're just going to be in the way."

Charlemagne grit her teeth, quickly realizing that this brat didn't care about anything! There was one thing he wanted. Suno. Of course he wanted Chase Suno.

The figure below her shifted, letting out a small moan. Her eyes fell, lips in a tight frown as she debated whether to strike down, charge at the other teen, or wait for Suno to show up and take care of them all in one swoop.

But then again, she had waited too long for her revenge as it was.

"We'll see how you manage against him when you're both dead!" she exclaimed. Her free hand flew to her pocket, digging out a small metal object. Before Ehna could react, she pressed the button and threw it towards him. It unleashed a flash of stunning sparks, and he let out a gasp. The old commandant dropped the metal shard, and ripped the blade from her calf. She didn't hesitate to throw it towards him, quickly grabbing the metal piece she dropped nearby to finish off the other.

Her aim had been off, however. Ehna, even while slightly stunned, managed to duck away enough for the knife to just graze against the side of his face and cut his headband.

She didn't bother to watch, now taking the metal shard with an unsteady hand and raising it high above. Who cared about Suno! Who cared about monsuno! She had the upper hand now!

And who cared if they knew something, she was finally getting retribution! She was finally getting her revenge for Elliot. And for Siarl!

"This is for the family that you took away from me!"

* * *

A/N: Oc's featured not owned by me! Strike Squad 2 is owned by inuki-s and Rose is owned by GeekWayne, all of whom can be found on DA.

Also taking creative liberties with their monsuno's attacks, which are mostly from Tales of Symphonia games (trivia trivia here).

Review Review Review!


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: Thanks to Darpsonic6, ChasexJinjaForever, and monsuno power for the reviews!

Enjoy!

* * *

The first thing he noticed when waking up was that he was moving. And that there was the sound of a monsuno huffing. Slowly, Beyal opened his eyes just enough to see the walls of the temple again, feeling something soft beneath his touch. He almost wanted to go back to sleep, thinking that maybe he had just been dreaming (and he'd get to his chores later).

But then there was a loud bang in the distance, and everything started to slowly come back through the haziness of his mind.

He glanced up, seeing that he was on a monsuno, and that he wasn't alone. Barely a foot away was Klipse's clone. Beyal stayed silent, unsure of what was going on.

Closing his eyes, the monk started to recall what had just taken place. He remembered coming downstairs with Kilo and encountering both the bookman and the tall woman. Then he was taken towards the lower halls where there was powerful monsuno energy.

And then there was that door.

He shuddered, knowing what had probably happened after blacking out. The second he could, Beyal fought to come back, finding it harder to do then the last. He had been exhausting himself for the past few days though. His struggle was to be expected.

Another chill went through as Beyal recalled the intense look that Duo had as she eyed the bookman. Admittedly, he wanted to go back, even knowing that it was probably too late. He needed to at least try and stop them before Chase and the others went downstairs.

That thought was lost as his eyes trailed down and saw a blue sleeve. Confused, he rose enough to see that he was wearing a familiar jacket. Which must've meant that Chase had-

"You're awake."

He looked up to see the other teen now looking at him with a blank expression. Well. An even blanker one then usual. But he didn't seem hostile, even with the two atop the red Eklipse monsuno, which he realized was Demise.

"Where are we?" Beyal asked, assuming that was one of the better questions to ask at the moment.

"Almost out of the temple," Six said, turning back towards the hallway ahead of them, "The way out isn't much further."

Beyal watched the other teen. If they were already almost out of the temple, then that meant that Six had probably carried him for a while. Especially with the lower corridors not allowing monsuno to be spun out. Unless the clone had decided to bring his monsuno down to the halls before coming back up, but what was the point of that unless he wanted to fight?

But by the look of the blue jacket, that wasn't out of the realm of possibilities. There was a good chance that Six had confronted Chase in some way, or at least ran into him at one point.

"... She told me to get you."

The monk looked up again, seeing Six's posture change. He seemed to be more fidgety, and there was an unsure air to him. Beyal blinked.

"Who told you?" he asked, almost hoping that it was his sister the clone was talking about.

"... The woman with the brown hair. The one that's... Important to Chase Suno," Six said, now looking down. Beyal could see a red core in his hand, "She was trying to find him, but she found me instead."

Beyal raised a brow. Why would Mrs. Suno want to even talk to Six? Why not at least try to talk to him, or Jinja? Or someone who was on their side? But then again, being projected out of your body all of a sudden was a bit of a barrier when it came to many things.

He sat up, looking around to see they were in one of the hidden tunnels that led out towards the cliffside. How did Six even know about this? Moreover, why would he help Beyal? Even with Mrs. Suno giving him advice, the clone clearly sided with his father.

At the thought of the scientist, Beyal decided to check his monsuno to see if they were still with him. Luckily they were. When his hand brushed the side of Chase's pocket, he felt something else inside. Looking down, the monk saw that it was Warwing, along with red and green cores. He could only assume they were the bookman's.

He shivered again. At least that man's monsuno would be alright in their hands. But this showed another problem. He had Kilo's core. Gripping it tighter, Beyal was prepared to take off back down the halls. There was no telling what befell the operative after he was left behind, or even Bekka for that matter. This just meant he would have to hurry. Especially if Chase's mother was trying to warn them.

"... Hold on."

There was a tight grip around his arm, and Beyal saw the other teen giving him a worried look (which was a bit strange given how unexpressive the clone tended to be).

"You can't go back," Six stated.

" _You_ can't stop me," Beyal said back, "How can I even trust that you're telling the truth about Mrs. Suno? You went and escaped S.T.O.R.M., siding yourself with Klipse and the Hand of Destiny."

Admittedly, he was being a bit harsh. But considering how tired and anxious he was getting, Beyal wasn't about to back down without a good reason to. Six could see this, loosening his grip, but not quite letting go.

"... We can't be down there," the clone said, "Mrs. Suno told me what was down there... I don't want my monsuno to be harmed."

Beyal raised a brow, "Why? What's down there that'll harm them?"

Six shifted in his seat, finally letting go of Beyal's arm. His gaze was down, now staring at the core he held.

"I... They want to use the shadow effect that my father once used," he said, slowly, "But... They want to use it for something worse... Something that would hurt monsuno and humans..."

Beyal was silent, and looked towards his hands in his lap. What could the Hand of Destiny possibly do here that would affect everyone? The obvious answer was that it had to do with monsuno energy and sight. And with how strong the presence of energy was downstairs, that was probably the case.

"What exactly did Mrs. Suno say?" he asked.

"She told me that the shadow effect would hurt all monsuno. Even the ones in the cores..." Six said, his hand gripped onto the red core tighter, almost possessively, "And she also said that the Hand would do the one thing I couldn't..."

Beyal took a breath. What could that be? Defeating Chase? Because there were plenty of times that others had done that. But by the gravity in Six's voice, that wasn't it. It was something bigger.

"She said I needed to help," Six continued, his voice getting quiet, "... But. I want to leave... I just want to leave..."

There was definitely something wrong with him. At first Beyal thought it was just him, but there was a shift in Six's overall self. Was he finally seeing the error of his ways?

The monk shook his head. No. That wouldn't be possible. There were too many times where Team Core Tech misplaced their faith in Six, and suffered for it. The only reason he would say something now would be for his own benefit. Though out of everything, he wanted to leave the most. That counted for something.

"We're finally out," Six said, looking ahead again. Beyal followed his gaze, seeing nothing but darkness, but hearing the wind howling. Snow was fluttering into the corridor. There was the sound of fighting in the distance, along with panicked shouts. Demise hesitated, and climbed out onto the side of the cliff. The two teens on top had to hold on, as the cliffside was incredibly steep. The monk knew that as soon as they got on top, he would get back into the temple and help Chase and Kilo.

That thought came to a halt as they came to the battlefield that used to be the temple courtyard.

HLP

 _They could never truly be human._

 _Anyone who came into contact with monsuno energy was forever altered. The effects of which could never be undone._

 _This was a fact that many had learned when encountering the Hand of Destiny._

 _The five had insisted that they were the original descendants of the Five Tribes, but that was hardly the case. They were simply people who sought out the raw power of monsuno energy. And they were willing to try anything to get it._

 _Theft. Abduction. Experimentation. If they took a step in the right direction, then everything else didn't matter. Everything they had done was for the sake of eternal life._

"This is for the family that you took away from me!"

The blonde woman stabbed down into the figure below her with a furious scream. Ehna let out a gasp, trying to move against the electricity that ran through his body. A normal person would've collapsed under the strain and fallen unconscious. It set his nerves on fire, but he was still able to stand. The cloth started to slip from his forehead, almost dropping over his eyes from where it was cut.

Despite that, he was still able to see Charlemagne now breathing heavy as she held onto the metal piece stabbing into Exi's back. The boy didn't react at all, which caught her attention. She pulled out the shard, blood still flowing from her palm, and set it aside. Slowly, she turned him onto his side, eyes going wide.

Ehna took a step forward, trying to fight off the spasms that made his fingers twitch horribly. He should've expected something like this from the woman, knowing the type of tricks she had pulled in the past.

Charlemagne looked up at him, then back down, and finally let out a low growl.

" _What is zis?"_ she hissed, falling back a bit, "Are you _trying_ to make me mad?! Why does- What are you trying to pull?!"

The older teen fell to his knees, letting out a grunt. He was hardly listening to the woman anymore. Instead, he was focusing on the sound of footsteps that were starting to get closer, now in a jog. Suno was getting closer.

There wasn't much time left.

He went over the details in his mind, knowing that Suno would arrive right on time for their plan. His piece. Duo's piece. Exi's piece. Tesserah's energy. If he remembered right, they were still missing one more to break the seal one last time. His eyes finally glanced back to the pair, knowing exactly where he could get the last piece.

"What's wrong... Charlemagne?" he hissed, "Not liking what you see?"

The woman was speechless, a silent battle going on within her own mind.

"I-It's a trick... They can look like anyone..." She started muttering under her breath. Ehna let out a low laugh.

"No. You're mistaken, dear commandant," he said, slowly flexing his hands to get the numbness away, " _I_ can turn into anyone. That little nuisance was what helped the Hand of Destiny figure out how to manipulate existing monsuno's energy. But he can't look like anyone else."

She was shaking again, her gaze waiving in disbelief. Eventually, she hunched down, her hands falling to her sides.

"Are you surprised by that fact? Or is it that you're just shocked that you would stab your own flesh and blood without hesitation? If anything you should be glad he still looks like you and what's-his-face," he said, with a smirk.

The boy wasn't dead. Not with that last monsuno shard still stuck in his hand. None of them could die unless their monsuno fragments were taken or destroyed.

They couldn't die like regular humans...

Ehna stood back up, inhaling sharply as he took a few shaky steps towards the two.

"Out of the way woman," he said, eyeing the knife stuck in Exi's hand, "While this has been fun, I have business to carry on with Suno-"

She suddenly lunged at the teen with a shout, the two of them falling back on the ground. She had the piece of metal again, this time more unsteady. It shook as she placed it against his neck, immediately drawing blood.

" _Where is he!"_ she shrieked, "I know you still 'ave him! You-I-It- TELL ME! TELL ME WHERE MY SON IS!"

Even with the blade poised close, Ehna was calm, lips in a scowl.

"Are you that disillusioned that you don't even recognize him when he's right in front of you?" he asked, more of a statement. Charlemagne flinched back, face contorted in anger and regret. Her hesitation gave him enough time to grab her arm and roll over so their positions were switched. He slapped the metal from her hand, immediately digging a finger into her shoulder wound from Duo.

Charlemagne hissed in pain, hands going up to push him off. The teen twisted his hand, making her struggle harder. He could try and take Exi's shard now, with the chance of the old commandant following. But that was unnecessary. He needed to get Suno alone for their plan to work. And she was too much of a wild card at this point to count on. But that could quickly change.

She grabbed a hold of his arm, making sure to hook her legs around his as she twisted them around again. He kicked her in the stomach, launching her off. With a huff, he reached over and took the blade out of Exi's hand in one swift movement.

The blonde woman was cradling her shoulder, getting back to her feet. A normal person would've passed out from the pain and exhaustion alone. But somehow she was still up, now rushing towards them. Ehna held the blade in front of himself in a mock threat. It didn't stop her.

As she reached forward and grabbed a hold of his wrist, he couldn't help but inwardly groan. She was being way too persistent. Which only meant that she would need to be brought down a few more pegs if she were to be useful.

"I guess I'll just have to twist up your mind even more," Ehna said, quickly sweeping her feet from below. They both crashed to the floor, and the band around his head finally fell away. She was caught off guard, letting out a small gasp as he gripped onto her throat.

"Don't worry. I won't bother taking your face," he said with a smirk.

It was the same as when he had to look into the monk woman's mind upstairs, stripping her mind of memories that would reveal the secrets of the temple and the Five Tribes. But this time it would be different. This time he would warp the old commandant's mind for their own benefit.

He gazed straight into her eyes, the sensation of falling into them immediately taking hold. Memories that went by were like passing cars. None of them lingered for long, and often left as quick as they came.

...

 _"Good job, soldier! You managed to subdue that beast!" a man in a grey suit said, "And you even managed to arrest the scientist responsible! Who would think it'd be one of our own."_

 _She nodded, keeping her tongue in check. As it was, she couldn't start demanding for the chance to see said scientist. Especially because of the damage to the city and the lab._

 _"You'll be happy to know that a promotion will be in order!" the man said merrily. His expression turned somber, "But... We still need to find soldier 428. Throughout the chaos we somehow lost track of him and a few others. I hope it wasn't a desertion."_

 _She nodded again. She didn't know about the civilians who were missing, but she already knew the answer to where 428 was. Most likely, he was taken by those people after they sent her back into the city. Saying something about those five would probably make it look like she was crazy, and that was the last thing she needed._

 _Especially if he and her son were still alive._

 _"Either way," the man in front of her continued, "Let's try and tidy up the city. We don't need people asking questions right? They'll show up eventually."_

 _She let out a scoff as soon as the bumbling fool left. Obviously he didn't care about the welfare of people. Just upholding the secrecy of the organization._

 _She would have to change that after becoming in charge..._

...

 _"I'm surprised that you got this far already," a soldier spoke to her. She remembered him from the port city as one of them who fled the area. The coward._

 _"You already became a Commander! That's practically a record for how fast you got it too!" the soldier said in amazement, "Actually. You could probably make it as high as the world council in a year at the pace you're going!"_

 _She let out a scoff. Like she would want a desk job at this point. She had already sorted through hundreds of records and files, including the restricted sections. The only useful information was that on a Doctor Jeredy Suno and his research into 'monsuno energy.' But there was nothing on a group of five people who were the cause of abductions and strange green flashes-_

 _..._

"We'll have to change a few of these memories. Misplace that hate towards our common enemy." His voice said to her, coming through in a muffled way that was reminiscent of her head being underwater.

...

 _She threw another relic across the room, watching it smash to pieces. A pile of pottery and paper lay all around the room in a whirlwind of destruction of her work from the past few hours. The single desk lamp shook, casting shadows along the walls as she paced angrily along._

 _Things had changed ever since she got into command of S.T.O.R.M.. There were more rules, stricter regulations. She couldn't afford any types of mishaps. She wasn't about to have any mistakes now that she had the power of the world at her fingertips._

 _She grabbed another scroll, practically throwing the right side across the desk in a fury, letting it roll off towards the darkness of the large room. Her eyes quickly moved across, and she scowled._

 _"Nothing!"_

 _She threw it aside again, running a hand through her shortened blonde locks. A change that she felt was needed as the Commandant._

 _Searching these past few years had been fruitless. Anyone would've given up by this point. But she couldn't. Not now that she had gotten to the top. She looked over towards the long aisles of confiscated objects and artifacts from the mountains of Tebab. If there would be anything on mysticism and the unknown, it would be there. Especially because there was the constant talk of 'Five Tribes' amongst the scrolls. Perhaps that was alluding to the five she was searching for._

 _She couldn't fail now. She..._

...

"Focus only on Chase Suno! He's been the cause of your pain! He's the one that you must direct your hate towards!"

...

 _"Quite a few bodies were recovered during the raid of that cave," a soldier said through the window. He paused, waiting for a response. But she never did feel like talking nowadays. Knowing this, the soldier continued._

 _"We found a few still alive, but it's also clear that this cult was taking people for years. There were even S.T.O.R.M. operatives that were on the M.I.A. list."_

 _She inhaled sharply. Did that mean that they found her husbands body? In which case, did that mean..._

 _"... What about children?" she asked, "We're zere any children zat were recovered?"_

 _The soldier sighed, leaning against the cell door, "Not that I know of. The cult apparently tried to abduct a girl a few weeks back, but that Team-uh. Core Tech. Yeah, them. They stopped the group just in time. I would say it was successful, even if they revealed monsuno to the world"_

 _Charlemagne ground her teeth together. Even if they did do good for the world, she would always hold a special place of hatred for Suno and his group._

 _She leaned against the metal wall, staring up at the blank ceiling. Even if it was confirmed that Elliot was dead, she still had some hope. It wouldn't do her any good though. Not when her lust for vengeance was much stronger._

 _Especially for Chase and Jeredy Suno._

...

 _Chase._

 _Chase Suno._

 _Jeredy Suno._

 _Monsuno._

 _Those monsters._

 _They were the ones._

 _..._

 _The ones who caused everything. The ones who made everything wrong!_

 _..._

 _They needed to be destroyed! They all needed to be destroyed! The image of a teen with black hair and a blue jacket was there. Those annoying teal eyes gleaming bright._

 _Suno!_

 _He messed up everything!_

 _He would pay! Especially because of-_

 _His face warped, growing smaller. Eyes going rounder, blue changing to yellow-_

...

A fist connected with his jaw, knocking the teen back. Ehna blinked a few times, and looked back to the blonde woman in surprise. No one had been able to resist so strongly, and from the look of it, he failed to make any sort of effect on her mind.

Charlemagne was breathing hard again, letting out a wince as she tried to move her wounded shoulder. She narrowed her eyes at the other. Miraculously, she had a some strength left, moving into a crawl as she neared the other.

Ehna tried to shuffle backwards, but found it hard to move. It often happened when he used his abilities to take someone's appearance or memories. His own mind had to resettle itself. The woman continued to crawl over, growling low as if she were an animal.

To his surprise, she wasn't going for him. Instead, her eyes were set on Exi's prone figure.

Charlemagne's hands quickly wound themselves around the boy's neck, grip tightening. Her eyes were wide, almost lost. But the anger within had yet to die down. At it was clear that it was still directed towards the group.

"... I don't care if you look like him," she rasped out, "you can't possibly be real. Y-You all are. You all need to be!.. I'll DESTROY you!"

Exi winced, finally starting to stir. This made the woman even angrier, the doubt from before gone. Ehna tried to move, knowing that he needed to get that last piece of the monsuno meteor before Chase showed up. But the teen stopped as soon as he saw how faded the light was coming from the boy's hand.

Coincidently, that was the same time that Charlemagne had ceased her actions. Even her heavy breathing had gone silent, replacing the faint sound of whispering. She brought the boy closer, her eyes in focus.

His lips were moving. Muttering something over and over in an inaudible motion. Whatever it was, Charlemagne understood, her body slackening and slumping back onto her hands as she let go.

Ehna winced, forcing his body to move. He let out a curse. There was no doubt that Exi's last shard was too faint to be useful at this point. He would have to go to his backup plan.

Closing his eyes, the teen summoned as much energy that he could muster, recalling the feeling that only Petros and the others could give. He and the other's figured out how to use this power within the past few months, utilizing it for all their distant tasks. Hopefully the one he was aiming for was also trying to get away.

Slowly looking to the woman, he saw the edges of her and Exi's bodies start to fade into green. She let out a gasp, then immediately looked to the teen. Before she could even move, they were gone in a flash.

In their place, a large figure fell onto the ground in a heap. The monsuno man groaned, cloak ripped to bits as it exposed his back. He quickly looked around, eyes straining against the shadows of the cavern.

"T-Triah," Ehna panted, throwing his hood up over his face and finally getting back up. He needed to keep moving, otherwise it would seem too suspicious. The large man turned to the teen, shoulders slumping.

"Oh it's just you," he sighed, "I thought for a moment that it was another trick by those original monsuno. Should've expected as much from you to use the quickening way."

"Only because I needed to get rid of a loose end before Suno arrived," the teen replied, taking a step towards the other. There was a curious look in the large man's eyes as he searched the area.

"Where's Duo?" he asked, "Wasn't she with you?"

"What happened to your meteor fragment?" Ehna asked ignoring the other's questions as he looked at the other's back. There was a large crack towards the bottom where a few pieces of metal stuck inside. Web like breaks creased along towards the edges, threatening to fall off.

"Two of those brats from before," Triah said, "One of them was possessed by the monsuno from this seal. That unlucky girl is probably going to perish soon enough. Though that kid with the glasses left me more then a little unprepared for an attack by the other original monsuno."

"Original monsuno? You mean the rest of them are here?"

"Unfortunately. And they weren't the only ones. There were reinforcements of S.T.O.R.M., and I doubt even the sadist will be able to take them all on with the monsuno out there."

Ehna tapped his foot in thought. At least Pente was out there fighting still. But there was hardly any strength left to try and summon him down here. Which meant there was only one option.

"... We're going to continue as planned," he said, walking towards the light in the distance, "C'mon. We need to release the shadow effect. Suno'll be here soon, and I doubt he'll want to wait."

He stumbled along towards the end of the cavern, the other closely following. In all honesty, neither of them were up for the idea of fighting Suno. If they had acted quicker, then maybe they wouldn't have been blindsided so quickly with stretching themselves out so much. But as it was, if they could set the seal off, then they would win. They would succeed in the last task given to them by Petros and the others.

"..."

The foosteps trailing behind him stopped, and Ehna looked to see the large man now eyeing him with suspicion.

"... Well?"

"Well what?"

"Where is she?" Triah asked, crossing his arms. The teen sighed. Of course he'd have to deal with this nonsense. He put a hand to his face, immediately putting on a guise of distraught.

"... We were ambushed," he sighed heavily, "That S.T.O.R.M. woman, Charlemagne. She was down here..."

To show he wasn't lying, Ehna lowered his hood enough to expose where the blonde woman had thrown a dagger and cut his face. It also exposed the long line of blood trailing down his neck where she had threatened him.

Triah saw this, but didn't change his stance.

"... And?"

The teen sighed, bringing his hood back up over his face, "It should be obvious. Charlemagne came in and..." He shook his head, "Both Exi and Duo were destroyed. I only managed to get these away."

He dug into his pocket and pulled out the two meteor pieces. The monsuno man gasped. He took a few shaky steps forward. A clawed hand reached out towards the larger piece, but stopped short. He exhaled deeply, then looked to the teen.

"... You're lying!"

Just as Ehna looked up, a fist reached out and grabbed his arm in a bruising grip. He nearly dropped Duo's meteor shard, but kept a hold. The two eyed each other, now staring intensely.

"Even if she was taken down by Charlemagne. There's no way she would want her shard to be taken," he said lowly, "I should know. She told me!"

With one motion, Triah threw the teen over his head and into the ground. He didn't release his arm though, and swung him to the left. This time he let go, watching as the teen collided with the wall. The larger man was practically fuming, panting heavily from both anger and exhaustion.

"But I should've expected as much from you demon," he hissed, "There was no way you would want those two back without wanting something from them."

Ehna got up, cracking his shoulders and spitting some blood to the side.

"So you already knew? Then why would you even bother following me along if you knew you'd all be destroyed? Why not warn any of them?"

Triah grabbed a large piece of fallen rock, throwing it at the other. Ehna dove out of the way, pocketing the shards. The monsuno man started to laugh.

"Why bother? I hate monsuno just as much as I hated the plans of the Hand of Destiny," he said, dropping his gaze, "None of it even matters anymore. Not when this is what I've become."

He shook his head, looking back up to the other with a sneer, "But I was going to destroy the rest of you for sure. Even if you destroyed the monsuno of the world, I would be there to destroy you. I wouldn't let you savior your victory!"

Ehna started to laugh as well, standing up and grabbing a blade, "So what? I'm guessing Duo was the one who told you right? It's not like you cared about this world before anyway!"

He threw two blades forward. Triah batted them away like nothing, and surged forward. Ehna had a split second to dodge as the other collided into the wall. Even after all that fighting, the man was still fast. Which meant he'd have to be faster.

"Even with your shape shifting, you can't take on raw strength!" Triah roared. Ehna took a deep breath.

"But you're forgetting what else I can do," he said, and then stared down the large man. There was a split second before he had realized what was happening and collapses to his knees. He gripped onto his head with a pained gasp. Ehna chuckled.

"You may be stronger, but you're also worn down by the monsuno!" He said, feeling his own monsuno fragment heating up against his forehead.

"Don't worry," he said, taking a shaky step forward. He held up Duo's shard again for the other to see, "You two can burn in hell together for eternity!"

HLP

It had been an arduous battle, carrying out well into the night. Alpha found that his approach to trying to overwhelm the enemy's monsuno with S.T.O.R.M.'s wasn't exactly the best strategy. He already had to call back Tripwire, and the other three weren't exactly being cooperative with him. The second he ordered one, another would try and run. He could see why taking command of more then two monsuno was a problem.

"Riccoshot, Seismic Charge! Skysite, Spining Wall!"

He surveyed the area. By this point, he had managed to help round up a majority of the purple monsuno into one place, but he could also see the remaining soldiers getting back into some of the cloud hoppers for cover from the blizzard. Most of whom were injured and waiting for reinforcements to show up with the medical team.

Alpha shook his head. He knew that was for the best. The soldiers were strong, but trying to take on monsuno was another thing entirely. But he wasn't about to give up! He needed to stay strong as the leader of the Strike Squad.

He needed to stay strong like Chase.

"Blackbullet, try to hold out!"

The monsuno grunted, obviously tired from all the fighting. Alpha looked down at the cores, seeing how low on energy they all were. He had one last core with him, but he wasn't confident enough to spin it out. Especially since he hadn't spun it out before at all. It was risky, and he knew he'd only resort to it if they were cornered.

But by the looks of the rest of the battle, that might be the case. Sure they were doing fine at the moment, but there was no way they would be able to hold out for much longer. The blizzard wasn't letting up, and the reinforcements hadn't shown up yet-

"Alpha!"

He let out a gasp, and turned towards the skies. He could see a faint outline of a monsuno, and recognized it as Neo-Quickforce. Atop was Bren, along with-

"Tango!"

The red-haired teen ran forward, helping Bren get her down. There was no telling what had happened, but what ever fight she was in left her in horrible shape. She wasn't even responding to the cold wind or snow as they laid her down. Alpha leaned close, faintly hearing her breathing.

"I-Is the medical t-team here yet?" Bren asked, shivering violently. Alpha shook his head.

"No. And with the blizzard not letting up, I doubt they will be," he said with a frown. Bren opened his mouth to say something, but instead let out a shout. Alpha turned around in time to see a flying monsuno come down towards them in a wide swoop. A yellow streak jumped onto it into the snow. The red-haired teen let out a gasp of surprise, seeing the unfamiliar monsuno and controller. But even in the snow and wind, he could recognize the Strike Squad uniform anywhere.

There was a flash of yellow, and Alpha looked just in time to see Blackbullet and Riccoshot get called back. He cursed, holding out their cores. There was only Skysite left.

Instead he drew his attention to the teen running towards him and Bren. He had bright orange hair that would rival Jinja's, with even brighter emerald eyes.

"Hey-o!" the teen said with an eager wave and blush, "The name's Lux- Agh! One! One is my name!"

He face-palmed, and immediately inhaled sharply.

"Sorry. Haven't exactly been in charge of Strike Squad for that long. First mission," he shrugged. Alpha's jaw dropped. _Another_ Strike Squad?! When did this happen?!

"When did- Who- Did you know about this?" Alpha said, glaring at Bren.

"What? Why would I know something?" the other shouted back, and proceeded to ignore them as he ushered Tango towards the nearest cloud hopper. Lux shuffled in the snow, the redness in his cheeks still present.

"W-Well. I uh. If it makes you feel better we've only been in training for three months," Lux explained, fiddling with the yellow and blue core in his hands. Alpha felt his ears get even hotter. It took him and his squad almost a whole year of training before they were even deemed worthy to go after Chase and the rest of Team Core Tech! Who was this guy to come in and-

"Wait a sec," Alpha started, then looked around, "You said in charge of Strike Squad. What Strike Squad?"

Lux's lips quirked a bit into a grin, as if he couldn't hold in his eagerness.

"W-Well. I haven't decided on the name. But right now we're Strike Squad II!"

Alpha pinched the bridge of his nose, trying hard to control his rage. Instead, he knew to count this as a blessing, all things considered (he could get mad at Jon and Trey later for trying to replace him and his team!). He turned back to the four monsuno that he was cornering at the moment.

"Let's get this straight," Alpha huffed, "Right now, _I'm_ in control. And right now we have to get the monsuno rounded up to keep damage at a minimum."

Lux raised his hands in defense.

"Oh! Yeah. Sure thing senior," he said, turned back to the battle. Alpha waited for the teen to command his monsuno, if only to see if he really was from S.T.O.R.M..

"Spritelight, Mirage Blade!"

From the left came a wave of yellow, charging straight into all four of the purple monsuno. Of course, it nearly took out Alpha's monsuno at the same time.

"H-Hey! Watch it!" He shouted. Lux wasn't paying attention though. There was a distant look in his eyes as he watched over the fight. But there was also an intense fire within. Something Alpha had only seen before in his rival.

Three of the monsuno rose from the blast, now eyeing the two teens with a glower. Alpha gripped his cores. He still needed a few more minutes. Then he could join the fight again.

Alpha watched as Lux took a stance against the wind roaring all around them. The red-haired teen couldn't help but admire the confidence he had, if only because he remembered how lost he was during the first few months of his own training.

And even with all that training... Chase still managed to beat his team over and over again...

" _Your monsuno sight isn't nearly as strong as Chase's. Not even close!"_

An emptying feeling in his gut arose, and Alpha had to take a deep breath. No. He had to stop doubting himself. This wasn't the time for that! Shaking his head, he looked and saw the three purple monsuno were now backing off, clearly worn out. Lux's smile grew.

"Keep up the good work!" he cheered. Alpha looked around, and suddenly realized: there was one missing.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of purple. Without even bothering to shout, he grabbed a hold of Lux and jumped out of the way as the beast came at them. The other teen let out a yelp as they crashed into the snow, nearly dropping his core in the process. Alpha jumped up immediately, standing in front of the other as the monsuno turned around and came at them again.

"Holy Lance!"

Beams of light shot down at the monsuno, trapping it in a circle. It let out a roar before the circle exploded in a shower of yellow. Alpha shielded his eyes, then looked towards the source of the voice. He saw another Strike Squad uniform and bleach blonde hair.

"That was too close..." Lux sighed, then turned towards the figure, "Thanks Lucian!"

Alpha couldn't help but look back and forth. That was obviously another Strike Squad member. And if they were anything like his team, then there were others running around as well. At least there would be more monsuno on their side.

There was a buzz in his hand, and Alpha looked down to see the other cores he held lighting up. He raised a brow, bringing them closer. It was strange, but he could feel something inside. But it wasn't like before where he was given a comforting feeling. This one was cold, and unnerving.

This couldn't be good.

"We need to stop them now!" he said to Lux. The teen nodded back, and looked towards the monsuno battling.

Of course, Alpha should've said something more, or at least had a more solid plan. Because that was when everything came to a halt.

It was as if time had stopped. The blizzard. The wind. The monsuno. Everything had come to a stop for exactly ten seconds, all of them left in confusion.

And then it hit.

White flooded his vision, and his ears went deaf as he was blown off his feet and thrown backwards. As he landed in the snow, Alpha could only look up in horror as a large column of green erupted from the ground and into the sky.

And he knew exactly who was the cause of it.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	39. Chapter 39

A/N: Thanks to Kathywood67, ChasexJinjaForever, monsuno power for the reviews. _Y_ eah! We're in the home stretch of this being done! Granted there are less than ten chapters left, so much going on! *sigh* this has been a wild ride.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chase picked up his pace as soon as a roar erupted into the cavern. Logic would've told him to slow down, or to turn back, but that wasn't something he considered. The warm feeling from his monsuno was directing him more at this point. And it told him to run towards the light at the end of the cavern.

That light was where he had heard that roar. It wasn't like a monsuno's roar though. Not quite. It sounded like a person's in pain. That was hardly a good sign.

He passed by a clearing where a fight had taken place. At first he thought it was his imagination, but saw metal glistening on the ground. He came to a stop, leaning down to get a closer look. Immediately, he noticed that it was much like Alpha's blade, and couldn't help but wonder if the other teen had found his way down here.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Chase muttered to himself. The red-haired teen seemed to be full of himself when it came to giving orders for this rescue mission. And a part of Chase knew that he'd probably dash into the middle of danger for the sake of trying to prove himself as the better leader.

Chase glanced around, seeing something wet on the ground as well. He assumed it was water, and saw a large piece of narrow crystal that could've easily been held by someone, while a pile of dark clothes lay nearby. On a closer look, he realized the liquid was blood. The memory of the woman in Axistown flashed in his vision. And he remembered how Alpha mentioned her beating him in a fight.

"I _really_ hope he didn't get into trouble," Chase sighed, and stood back up. He took off again, thinking that perhaps he would have to come to the aid of one of his many rivals. He was preparing for anything at this point, considering all the other kinds of tricks that the Hand of Destiny had pulled in the past.

As he got closer to the light, the tunnel of the cavern widened out, and eventually Chase found himself slowing down. The strangest sense of deja vu came over him, and he realized that it was much like the time he was in the desert months ago trying to find readings for his father. Those readings eventually leading up to them finding out about the Hand of Destiny's plan on using the original monsuno of the Five Tribes. He had a bad feeling in his gut.

And much like the other cavern, there were crystals along the walls, ground, and ceiling, illuminating the cavern in a green glow. But unlike the last time, he was able to tell what Beyal had meant about monsuno energy being in the air. Now that he had a better understanding on his monsuno sight, it was clearer and practically buzzing throughout his whole body. He let out shiver, getting both a sense of strength and fullness.

"Chase Suno."

He drew his attention forward, seeing someone hunched over another, larger person. Just beyond them was a pool of water, a light coming from below the surface (was that like the well of insight? A pool of monsuno essence?). The hunched person stood, holding something glowing within their hands.

"So glad you could get here on time," they said. Chase was able to see that the glowing object was a large piece of crystal with cracks in the middle. Almost looking like it could fall apart instantly. They pocketed it away out of sight.

"Sorry. But I don't exactly remember you from this far away," Chase retorted, keeping a hand on Locke's core, "Not that you'll need an introduction when I wipe the floor with you!"

The person let out a scoff, "Of course you would be so over-confident. I'm guessing you came here alone as well? Considering how we got a hold of half your team."

Chase bit his lip, He already knew that Alpha had managed to find both Jinja and Dax, but was unsure of where they all were at the moment. Since he had split up from X-Ray, there was plenty of time where something could've happened to the group. Especially since Chase had no clue of who else was running around with these people besides Klipse. Not to mention the pieces of metal that he found on the way that might've easily been the red-haired teen's blade.

"But enough of that," the person continued, "We have more important matters to take care of. Including releasing the shadow effect! And you're going to help!"

Chase raised a brow, "Really? Are you sure of that? Because I'm pretty sure that's the last thing I'm going to do."

Without waiting another second, Chase held up Locke's core, the energy shining bright. The other laughed.

"Don't think that you'll be able to use that!" they said, "Don't you remember what happened last time? Try spinning out and you'll be out of luck. At least until the seal is released. So I doubt you'll be able to handle me on your own!"

With that, the person charged towards him. Chase stumbled back with a yelp. He steeled himself, and found his footing again.

He waited until the last second to sidestep, barely missing a fist aimed at his face. The person twisted around, grabbing the front of Chase's shirt and throwing him overhead towards the pool of water. The raven-haired teen gasped as he hit the ground, and rolled a few times before coming to the edge. He let out a moan, struggling to get back up with his breath knocked out of him. He flinched at seeing the glow in the pool so closely.

"Don't worry. It's just regular water," the figure said, "It's below the surface that's the seal. Far down where no human can reach. Only monsuno..."

Chase heard footsteps coming closer, he got back to his feet, holding out Locke's core like a shield.

"I already told you that won't work," the figure said, stepping closer. It was then that Chase could start to make out their features under the hood, such as brown hair and tan skin. He could also see something besides their green eyes glowing from below it as well.

It was the one from the ruins that took out Klipse and Six in one go. And the one who looked like Drezz and Jinja. Instantly, Chase felt some anger well up, remember how easily he had been deceived. It was also from here that Chase was able to see who the other larger figure on the ground was. He was surprised to see that it was the monsuno man from before who was also working for the Hand of Destiny. Yet, he bore wounds from a fight. Were these two...

"Now. You're going to stay there like a good little boy while I release the seal!" Ehna said, reaching into his pocket. Chase took off to the left towards the shadows and away from the pool of water. When he turned back around, he threw the core in his hands as hard as he could towards the other teen.

"Locke! Launch!"

The core spun along until it hit the wall. The green area was lit up by blue as Locke appeared, letting out a roar. The cloaked teen took a step back, obviously surprised by the monsuno.

"Won't work huh?" Chase boasted, feeling more confident at the appearance of his partner, "How about instead of staying down here, how about we all just get out of this cave and go upstairs. Or do you want to see what Locke can do?"

He wasn't sure why he was giving the other teen an option, all things considered. But Chase knew that it was better to bluff then force a fight at this point, especially given how close they were to massive amounts of unstable monsuno energy. Ehna didn't respond, and Chase could feel his gaze piercing through him.

"... I think you might as well see what you're up against before trying to make such a bold claim!" he said, bringing out three glowing crystals. Chase saw that there was the one from earlier, but there were also two other's that were there, both of which were stabbed through. They grew even brighter as the teen's grip tightened around them.

"Just try to face me _and_ the raw power of the monsuno meteor that hit millions of years ago!"

The light emitting from the pool also started to grow, and Chase let out a gasp. He could feel it! He could feel the energy building all around! Especially now that he was more in tune with his monsuno sight.

"Locke! Stop him!"

The monsuno gave a grunt before running forward. It barred its teeth and threw its claws at the teen. It came so quickly that Ehna didn't have time to fully dodge as Locke's paw drew up and across, catching fabric and flesh.

The teen stumbled backwards with a pained gasp, holding onto his face as the torn jacket dropped from his shoulders, revealing a plain grey shirt under. The glowing crystals were still clasped in his hands, and eventually he brought them away from his face. Chase let out a gasp.

Locke somehow only grazed the teen, though the large jagged slash that stretched across Ehna's face showed that the monsuno had at least caught part of him with its claws. But it wasn't just the wound that surprised Chase. In the middle of the teen's forehead above the wound was a shard of glowing green crystal.

'Its... Another meteor fragment,' Chase thought. He suddenly became weary of the pieces that were still in the other's grasp. Ehna let out a low chuckle, blood dripping heavily to the ground.

"How are you even surprised by this point?" he asked, "You know we're not human. You knew that the Hand of Destiny weren't human. Or are you just disgusted by it?"

Chase grimaced, and tried to shake off the feeling, instead focusing on the glowing rocks in the other's hands. Those pieces. They were probably the key to the shadow effect. It was a meteor infused with monsuno energy that set off the effect before when Jon Ace was trying to help Chase and the rest of his friends. He just needed to get a hold of those pieces before a reaction to be induced.

"... Are you curious about these?" Ehna asked, holding up the pieces for Chase to see, "I can tell you right now that the owners aren't going to be a problem for either of us anymore. Well. At least two of them won't."

He juggled them briefly until he was holding the smallest piece in one hand. Chase noticed that it didn't quite have as much of a brilliance to it as the other too. There was a pause as the brown-haired teen glanced at it with a thoughtful expression, and then towards the unmoving large figure a few feet away. He shook his head.

"But that hardly matters. Only need five in the end anyway," Ehna shrugged, holding them together once again as the light grew.

Chase inhaled. The sudden spike in energy left him feeling weak. His knees almost buckled under his own weight. But he wasn't about to quit! The others needed him, and the world needed him!

Locke lunged down for another attack, preparing itself. As if to signal him, the core in Chase's hand started to pulsate. He let out a gasp. He could feel it. The hot, burning rage that could hardly be contained within his monsuno. And he knew exactly who it was directed towards.

"Alright. I know Locke," he said, gripping the core tighter despite it starting to burn, "We'll take him down! Together!"

He turned to the polar bear as it transformed into it's hyper mode.

"Locke! Jade Surge!"

The monsuno let out a roar, it's body taking on green light. The air started to crackle all around. Locke charged forward, streaking green as it bounded towards the teen. Ehna didn't bother to move.

Chase had to look away as Locke got closer and the light got bright. He was nearly blown backwards, holding his arms in front of his face as rubble was tossed in the air. The light didn't waiver, and he squinted to try and see what was happening. He gasped seeing Locke colliding directly with the meteor pieces in the other's hands, trying its hardest to shatter it.

"Locke! Keep pushing!"

The monsuno roared, glowing even brighter than before. Chase reluctantly looked away, unable to stand the light. It still blinded him, his gasps could hardly being heard over the crackling of energy.

Then there was a resounding 'POP!'

And the energy that was pushing him away was suddenly tugging at his being.

He dug his heels into the ground, looking up now that the light faded somewhat. He let out a yelp, seeing Locke now flying towards him. Chase quickly dove out of the way as his monsuno crashed into the ground, sliding back until it hit the wall painfully. Locke let out a groan, and struggled to get up. It failed, slumping down defeated as it went back into it's normal mode. Chase felt the core in his hand buzz, and he saw his monsuno's energy fall drastically until it was on the last bar.

Chase couldn't believe it. Locke... Lost?

How was it even possible? Locke was able to stave back loads of monsuno energy before, so how was it possible for him to lose against such a small source?

Ehna let out a slow laugh, still clinging onto the pieces of meteor, which was now flaring up violently.

"Did you really think it would be that easy? You're such a fool!" he boasted, "Even if it is one of the most powerful monsuno out there, the lynchpin can't take on the strongest, purest monsuno essence! Not with your DNA combined with that monsuno!"

Chase ran against the energy pulling him and went towards Locke, who was panting heavily. He placed a hand on it's arm, trying to get a feel of its energy. It was low, and if anything, the monsuno needed to be called back. But he could also feel the resistance that Locke held towards its core. It didn't want to be called back.

It wanted to keep fighting!

"Well... I guess it doesn't matter in the end."

Chase looked back over to the teen with contempt. He knew trying to send out another monsuno would be a huge risk, given what Ehna had mentions about his and Locke's bond. Chase didn't have it as strongly with his other monsuno, which meant there was a chance that they wouldn't be able to come out of their cores. But he needed to do something!

As if signaled by that, Locke got back to its feet shakily. It fell to one knee before getting back up.

"Woah. Hold on Locke!" Chase said, holding his hands up in a easing manner, "You can't just charge in. Let me handle this."

The monsuno glared down at him, not in contempt or anger, but more in concern. Eventually, it dropped back down with a grunt. Chase gave it a nod, and turned back towards the other teen. The fragments of meteor were still glowing bright, crackling away with energy.

Without warning, Ehna dropped them onto the ground. He walked towards one side of the pool, picking something else up. Chase saw a flash of metal, and a glimmer of red. It was a metal looking hand. Why did it look familiar...

The other teen placed it on his own, flexing it a bit before aiming it at the pool. The palm started to glow in response to the energy surrounding them.

Before Chase could move, he saw three quick flashes in his vision that left him stunned in response.

The fake Sophia.

The girl who was left in her place.

Six forcing his hand through her body as she screamed.

Chase gasped, clutching his chest as it tightened. That was-

"And now Chase Suno. You'll be the first to witness the end of the world!"

He looked up, seeing the water's surface bubbling and churning until it spun into a whirlpool. It was starting. He only had a few seconds to do something!

Chase got to his feet, not remembering when he had even fallen to his knees, and stumbled towards the other teen. He picked up his pace until he was running into a full sprint, letting out a shout.

"G-Give it here!" Chase exclaimed, grabbing the metal gauntlet. A glint of red caught his eye, and he saw the Eklipse symbol. Ehna had been caught off guard, stumbling before falling backwards as Chase kicked out.

Chase took the opportunity to pull the metal towards his body and fell to the ground, clenching his eyes shut at the sound of a splash.

He looked up, and saw the water rippling. The raven-haired teen gasped, scrambling over. The water was murky, but he could at least make out the shadow of the other teen thanks to the light coming from below.

There was a brief second where Chase debated on what to do. He found himself remembering how he had let Droog and the remaining members of the Hand of Destiny fall to the bottom of the ocean, and the horror show that was left in the room that he had found Beyal in.

He shook his head. Helping his enemies wasn't something that he needed to concern himself with. If anything, this was a solution.

As the bubbling got less frequent, Chase got back to his feet, and looked down at the gauntlet he held. Six had used it before in the ruins against the fake, and effectively disintegrated her because of it. Did that mean something had happened to the clone for Ehna to have had it? Or did he just steal it from the bald teen? Since Chase hadn't seen any Eklipse members, he couldn't help but think that maybe they weren't actually around at all. All that meant is that he just needed to find his teammates and the remaining members of the Hand of Destiny.

He turned towards the exit, and saw Locke still panting away from exhaustion. Chase let out a sigh.

"Don't worry buddy. I got your core right here," he said with some relief. Before he could even take the first step towards his monsuno, the gauntlet started to vibrate. Chase raised a brow, feeling the energy inside. Three bright green lights got his attention, and he saw the fragments that were dropped now glowing. Just as he felt a shift, the light in the pool faded.

And then he was blown backwards by white light.

HLP

"Look! There's the entrance!"

Navigating through the temple was easy enough. Just having to follow the sound of chaos, the small group had managed to get back to the ground floor within a few minutes. But by that point the two teens being helped by the desert wolves were beyond exhausted. X-Ray gave one glance towards Kilo and could see he was definitely in need of assistance. If the call they got from Alpha about reinforcements coming was true, then there wasn't much to worry about. Even with him falling in and out of consciousness, he was at least able to stay somewhat lucid.

As they got back to the main hall, the sound of monsuno roaring became clearer. And as they stepped through the giant doors of the temple, they were met with a flurry of white. X-Ray had to hold in a shudder, tightening his grip around Kilo's shoulder and arm, seeing yellow and purple monsuno chasing each other.

He and the desert wolves scanned around the field of ice to find the others. X-Ray wasn't sure what to make of the two of them, especially whether they were to be considered enemies. But since the large man had helped them with the creep Dom Pyro, X-Ray was willing to at least trust them at the moment (they could be apprehended later anyway).

There was a cry for help, and the Desert Wolves took off towards the sound. X-Ray couldn't see who was shouting, but with Kilo still leaning on him, he was stuck in his place.

Instead, the teen turned to look for a cloud hopper or other soldiers. He quickly spotted a cluster of troops and slowly started to make his way over.

"Stop right there!"

Something landed close by, and X-Ray gasped as a large figure came into view. He gulped, seeing the monsuno man from the recon mission of the old Hand of Destiny's base. But clearly he had been in the middle of the monsuno fights, as his cloak had been shredded, revealing bloodied marks all over his torso, along with green bits of fur and scars. X-Ray had to hold in a shudder.

There was a look of confusion in the monsuno man's eyes as he looked down at the teens, and he let out a groan.

"Ugh. I really hate how you all have monsuno sight," he groaned, "It makes it so damn confusing to keep track of you all!"

He took a shaky step towards the small teen. X-Ray tensed, backing up with a tight grip on Kilo.

"Where is she?" Triah huffed. X-Ray gulped before responding.

"What?"

"That girl! The one that wears your uniform!" he roared, "I need to get to her! I need to destroy that original monsuno!"

The man charged at them with a roar. X-Ray stumbled backwards, dropped Kilo to the side, and threw his arms up in a feeble attempt of defense.

As he clenched his eyes shut in preparation, he felt the slightest change in the air. It was strange, almost tugging at his soul. If he had opened his eyes, he would've seen a green air surround the monsuno man, until he disappeared completely within seconds.

Instead of being tackled into, X-Ray felt someone stumble against him, the two falling to the ground. He let out a surprised squeak as they collapsed in a heap, well aware that this wasn't the giant that he was facing a moment ago.

Wincing, X-Ray looked up with a gasp, and started to panic at the sight of blonde hair. It was Charlemagne!

(Although he wasn't sure if that was for the better).

He scrambled to get out from below her, but couldn't as she slumped against him half conscious. She groaned, and managed to get up onto her hands and knees.

"W-Where did..." she started, and blinked unsteadily a few times. X-Ray eased out from below her, and spotted another new figure who had also appeared. It seemed like a kid dressed in black like the monsuno man, face down in snow and unmoving. X-Ray's eyes trailed back and forth between him, the old commandant, and Kilo, who's eyes were half open and blinking slowly.

This was a strange situation to be in to say the least.

Luckily, he didn't have to make a decision on his next move.

"X-Ray!"

He turned towards the voice, and sighed in relief at seeing brown bushy hair of the previous medical member of their team. But two seconds later he immediately questioned: how the crag was Rose here?

The girl went straight over to Kilo, taking in the sight of the stab wounds in his chest with a small gasp. There was a brief moment where it looked like she'd be sick, but she shook it away. X-Ray gave a weary glance towards Charlemagne, who was clutching onto her calf, before turning more towards the other two teens. As Rose pulled strips of gauze and a bottle from the bag on her shoulder, she had to hold in another shudder as she started cleaning Kilo's wound.

"Still see that you're squeamish," X-Ray chuckled, trying to get the shock out of his system and his stomach to stop doing somersaults.

"Still see that you're a jerk," Rose huffed, unrolling a bandage to wrap the wound. Kilo blinked some more, as if he was unable to take in the sight of the two.

"Mage? No. Rose? Why are... How did you..."

"Don't think I'm coming back to join up with Strike Squad again," she said, putting pressure on the dark teen's wound as he hissed in pain, "I still can't get over the things that you all did to become part of Charlemagne's personal team..."

X-Ray winced, and didn't bother saying anything.

As if knowing she was being talked about, Charlemagne turned towards the three. X-Ray saw, and started to panic on instinct. They briefly locked eyes, but she turned away as another groan got her attention. The old commandant turned to see the kid moving, rolling over with a heaved gasp. His eyes slowly opened, and gazed to the blonde woman. Immediately he panicked.

"Y-You," he stuttered, trying to get to his hands and feet, only managing to get onto his elbows with a yelp of pain. Charlemagne unsteadily moved towards the boy.

"D-Don't try to move... I-I."

"Y-You're the one that hurt Driftblade," he said, breath catching in his throat in a choked sound, "You're the cruel woman... The one it's afraid of..."

X-Ray's eyes were wide at the exchange. More so at the sight of the expression on Charlemagne's face. An expression that he thought he'd never see. Heartache.

"N-No," she said faintly, hands half raised in an unsure manner, "That's... I-I'm not-"

"S-Stay away!"

He tried getting back to his feet, falling backwards with a gasp. It was then that X-Ray saw the snow near the boy's palms darken red. That didn't stop him as he feebly crawled away. Charlemagne let out a small gasp.

"W-Wait!" she cried, getting to her feet before letting out an anguished sound. X-Ray gasped at the wound in her calf, as well as the cuts and slashes sustained elsewhere. How was she even standing right now?

The blond woman took two steps before pitched forward. X-Ray got to her side. Arrested or not, she needed help right now (though he was more afraid of what she would do if not stopped otherwise).

"M-Ma'am," the teen started, "A-Are you-"

"Get out of my way!" she shrieked, pushing him away and stumbled in the direction that the boy had gone in. X-Ray was left in a stunned stupor. Obviously he was a bad judge of character.

"X-Ray!"

He turned towards the voice calling him, and saw Jinja, Bren, and two unknown teens running towards the group. He raised a brow at the sight of Strike Squad suits.

"Oh good, you found Rose," the one with pigtails said, "I was afraid when I lost track of her."

"You mean when you ditched her to find Lux," the other one sighed, who was wearing a mask that covered most of their face. The girl puffed her cheeks in anger, attempting to look intimidating but coming off more as cute.

(But with someone as scary as Charlemagne nearby, it's hard to even come close).

X-Ray looked in the direction that the blonde woman had gone in, debating whether or not to go after. Bren crouched down next to Kilo and Rose, a grave and anxious look on his face.

"Hey. Um. When you're done we need to book it!" he said straight to the point, "I got Tango to one of the cloud hoppers, but she's not looking too good right now!"

"As soon as I'm done here we can go," Rose said, now quickly wrapping the slash on Kilo's hand. X-Ray stood up, looking back and forth between the two teens in his teams uniform.

"Uh. Okay. Who are you two?" he asked. Jinja sighed.

"We really don't have time for this!" she said, "We need to go help Alpha and find everyone else! He's almost got Moto's monsuno rounded up, but his cores are probably timing out as we speak."

X-Ray nodded after a second. That's right. Bravo and Tango were supposed to distract the monsuno. But obviously it wasn't very successful, seeing the broken down cloud hoppers and monsuno still running around.

"Yeah. You're going to want to hurry," the masked one said, "Glowsting had already timed out, and I doubt Fleetfoot has more then a few minutes left."

As if on cue, there was a roar nearby that made them all jump. X-Ray was surprised to see a bat-like monsuno attacking a yellow S.T.O.R.M. monsuno that was unfamiliar.

"Oh! Fleetfoot!" the girl with pigtails shouted, "Hurry! Spark Volt!"

Through the blizzard, X-Ray saw a yellow and blue monsuno launch a blast at one of the flying purple ones. The girl cheered.

"Don't get cocky Itzel," the masked one said, "You'll get your monsuno destroyed like that."

She puffed her cheeks again, "You're just jealous I managed to keep my monsuno out longer."

Jinja let out another sigh, clearly bothered by the useless fighting.

X-Ray suddenly felt a jolt on his belt. Looking down, he saw that it was Jinja and Dax's cores. That's right! They had reinforcements already here!

"Here are you're cores," X-Ray said, holding out Jinja's holster with blue cores on it. The red-haired girl smiled in relief, and reached for them.

She had barely grabbed on before the two felt _it_ happen.

The wind died.

The fighting stopped.

Everyone looked around in confusion. Except Jinja and X-Ray, who could feel exactly what had happened just as light burst from the ground.

It being the release of monsuno energy.

HLP

This wasn't like the last time.

If the desert where he had first met the experiments of the Hand of Destiny was where they had released a seal, that was just scratching the surface.

Chase blinked slowly, seeing the ceiling of the cavern. He got up with a gasp, remembering why he was down here. The sight of a white pillar of energy stood in front of him in a brilliant display.

Then it shifted. And it turned green.

"Wh-What?!"

The air crackled away as the wind picked up all around. Chase got back to his feet, only to be nearly knocked down by a violent shaking. He looked around, seeing parts of the cave starting to collapse. The only other thing he could hear was the panicked sound of his heartbeat. And very soon, the sound of triumphant laughter.

"The seal has been released! Even with your sorry group remaking them before!"

He looked forward, and saw Ehna soaking wet and kneeling near the edge of the energy typhoon.

"H-How?!" Chase shouted, "How did you even do this?!"

The other teen continued to chuckle before turning to Chase with a sly grin.

"Did you really think that just pushing me in and hoping that I drowned was going to do it? Then you really are an idiot," he sighed, "I already told you that we're not human, so something like that was useless!"

The energy surged, and the ceiling crumbled away even more. Chase jumped out of the way as a particularly large stalagmite tumbled towards him.

"And then you decided to put me closer to the source of the seal!" the other teen continued, looking up at the pillar of light, "I was afraid that Tesserah's energy and Exi's shard wouldn't be enough, especially since her fragment was turned to dust and he was so weak. So getting closer to the seal was just the thing that needed to be done!"

Chase looked back to where the pool of water once was, and let out a curse. Stupid! That was such as stupid move to make! He should've followed through with making sure the other was taken care of.

"Dammit!"

He threw down the gauntlet he still held and gripped onto Locke's core. He looked back to the monsuno as it let out labored breaths. He need to call it back. At least now he could call out more monsuno-

"I wouldn't act so hasty Suno!" Ehna exclaimed, "We still need the shadow effect to take root. Or do you even want to try and take us down?"

Chase looked over to Locke, and then down at the core. He saw the blue light still blazing brightly. That's right. If the shadow effect had taken place, then Locke would be going crazy. He could call it back, and get another few of his monsuno out.

As he got to his feet, it was then that Chase noticed something wrong. Locke's core. For some reason, Locke should've been summoned back a long time ago. And yet, the core was still blinking with the single energy bar. He was sure that the eight minute limit was up. What was going on?

Chase tightened his grip on the core, taking a step back as he grabbed for another core. Ehna shrugged the cloak off his arms, reached into the pocket, and pulled out a core of his own. Chase raised a brow, seeing the dull gray tone it had.

"Even with a large amount of monsuno energy, and with a violent response, it's the lynchpin that is necessary to complete the shadow effect," Ehna said, a hint of glee in his voice, "After all, the bridge between humans and monsuno can't be sided with humans. So it'll help influence the rest of them!"

Chase grabbed for a core, feeling two empty spots. He had to pause for a brief moment as he remembered leaving them with Beyal.

"I'm surprised you don't recognize this core," Ehna said, flicking the core between his fingers. "Don't you remember when we had first met? How the core that was spun out failed to do anything?"

Chase was silent, now reaching for Babeon's core. As soon as his fingers brushed against the glass, he let out a wince as a small jolt was felt. He waved his hand to get the feeling away.

"Well. If you haven't figured it out, it's empty," Ehna said, looking down at it.

"Wow. An empty core. How intimidating," Chase said with a frown. The teen in front of him chuckled.

"Yes. Well, that's about to change. For you see, it wasn't just the monsuno that needed to be studied, but the cores as well. The way that the shapeshifter cores are able to absorb another's energy spawned from both Exi's abilities and what this core can do when colliding directly with a monsuno."

"And what can that core do?"

Ehna laughed, more to himself, and looked up to Chase with a crazed look. Chase gulped, taking a step back. The brown-haired teens eyes landed on Locke, and he pulled his arm back.

"Launch!"

It whirled past Chase before he could even blink, and he turned just as the core clattered against Locke's paw.

And then he felt a jolt go through his body.

Chase gasped, his breath getting caught in his throat as a wave of pain went through his chest. He dropped Locke's core, it suddenly getting red hot. His eyes zipped all around, trying to focus on something as his heart got unsteady and his vision started to blur.

'T-This... Feeling...!' he gasped, body letting out a spasm as he dropped to his knees. It felt like he was on fire, and that something was yanking his being out of his body! It reminded him of when the Hand of Destiny tried to take his monsuno sight. Only it was _tearing_ something else from him.

Locke roared out in pain.

Chase tried to get back up, but every moment sent fiery pain through his body, and eventually he felt his consciousness starting to fade.

'N-No... I... Can't... Stop,' he panted heavily, eyes staring towards his monsuno in an unfocused daze. He saw Locke's figure fighting against something, but it was hard to make out. All that was visible was a large gray light that was slowly surrounding his partner.

"L... Locke."

It roared again as the light fully engulfed it, and Chase felt the last bit of his strength get taken away. As if a cord had been pulled away from him without him realizing it. No. Not a cord.

A bond.

Even with the light fading back into the gray core, Locke's form completely gone, Chase fought against the pain going through every nerve in his body. They couldn't take him. They couldn't take Locke from him!

Laughter. He couldn't turn, but he knew who it was, now resenting the sound.

"Too bad for you Chase! Maybe if you didn't rely so heavily on the lynchpin then maybe you'd be able to call out another monsuno!" Ehna boasted.

Chase tried to move, only managing to turn his head towards the other teen. He growled, hands clenching into fists. It was then that he saw Locke's core lying nearby. Except instead of having its usual blue glow, it had now become dull, gray, and lifeless.

He tried reaching out through his monsuno sight, feeling for the connection that only he and Locke had.

There was nothing.

Locke was... Gone.

"Don't look so sad there!" Ehna said, going over to the gray core and picking it up. The inside of it had brightened considerably, even visible in the white light of the seal blinding everything.

"You'll see each other again sooner then you think!"

Ehna went back over towards the shards of meteor fragment he had dropped. Gripping them tightly, the light of the pillar grew even more, expanding out until it engulfed both him and Chase.

The last thing Chase heard as his vision faded into white was a familiar voice calling out to him.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	40. Chapter 40

A/N:Thanks to Kathywood67, ChasexJinjaForever, monsuno power for the reviews!

Enjoy!

* * *

"Are you sure he'll be alright? Like at least somewhat sure?"

The soldier that he was speaking to gave a nod, "We won't be sure until the medic team gets here, but as of right now he does have a steady pulse."

Dax let out a sigh of relief. After managing to get out of the temple with Spike, he met up with some of the S.T.O.R.M. soldiers that had take refuge in one of the only cloud hoppers that was till in one piece. He was relieved that someone was there to help, but was still worried about the effects that Spike might have due to the monsuno essence, if only because he couldn't find Jeredy and ask for help.

Spike at least appeared to be back to normal, but he probably wouldn't know until the teen woke up.

"The monsuno are coming back!" one soldier exclaimed. Dax ran back out into the blizzard to see streaks of purple dancing in the sky. No doubt they were Moto's monsuno.

He clicked his tongue. Why did he have to get his monsuno taken at a dire time like this? Even when getting out of the temple, there was no sign of his cores anywhere. And he still wasn't sure about trying to spin out the cores that he took from Tallis, mostly because they might easily turn on him.

"Everyone get inside!" Dax shouted, and ran back in as well. He looked around for the emergency supplies box, and started digging inside when he found one. He pulled out three signal flares.

"Hold on there!" one soldier said, "You need to stay inside!"

Dax looked back, then towards the far part of the control deck where injured soldiers were, including Spike.

"No. You all need as much time as possible to get a hold of someone else," Dax said, motioning towards the control pad. It probably wouldn't work in its condition, but it didn't hurt to try, "Besides, I need you all to keep watch on my bud over there. I kind of doubt he'd wanna see my face when he comes to."

Dax didn't leave time to argue as he ran out the door into the snow. More soldiers ran past him, and it was only when he was a good distance away did he light up a flare.

"Oi! Uglies!" he shouted, "Over here! Nice juicy Dax over here!"

The purple monsuno suddenly changed course, and dove towards the teen. He immediately booked it as far as he could from the cloud hopper, glad that the soreness in his leg had worked itself away before throwing the flare.

He could hear the monsuno still coming, and jumped into the snow. They flew past in a rush, and breathed a sigh of relief. But then there was a low hissing noise coming from his left. Dax inhaled sharply, and slowly turned to see a pair of purple eyes staring him down. A pair that he wasn't hoping to see again.

"Oh. It's uh... You," he stuttered out, quickly getting to his feet, "Um... Exo? Yeah."

Moto's monsuno let out a huff, taking a few large strides towards the teen. Dax picked up the pace and started running as soon as the beast let out a roar.

"L-Look! I'm sorry about the lab and all, but you gotta let that stuff go!" Dax shouted, hearing the incoming monsuno approaching fast. The snow bank suddenly dipped, and Dax let out a gasp as he stumbled over his own feet. He covered his head as Exo leapt up with a roar.

"Driftblade, Plasma Barrage!"

A yellow flash barreled into the purple monsuno in a flurry of flashes and snow. Dax quickly looked to see four figures running towards him. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Glad to see you made it out of there doc," Dax grinned. It was Chase's dad, Jon Ace, and two S.T.O.R.M. soldiers, most likely there for back up.

"I'm happy to say the same thing," Jeredy sighed, "Have you seen Chase? Or anyone else?"

Dax shook his head, "Can't say that I did. But look. When you get the chance, Spike is in one of the cloud hoppers that's still together. The soldiers aren't sure what to do, but are at least looking after him."

Jeredy gave a small nod, and looked off towards the direction that the cloud hopper's silhouette could be seen. As soon as he took a step forwards, however, a beam of light shot out from the far side of the field of snow.

They had been blown backwards as it burst towards the sky. A loud beeping went off from the metal case in Jeredy's hand. He knelt down, opening it up to reveal a laptop inside.

"What's going on doctor?!" Jon shouted over the wind that was growing more violent.

"I'm not sure! The monsuno energy just suddenly-" Jeredy stopped, his fingers coming to a halt. They all looked to him as his eyes had a distant haze in them.

"Jeredy?" Jon asked. The doctor flinched, then looked up to Driftblade. Both it and Exo had stopped fighting as soon as the light emerged, which was quickly growing larger as it towered towards the sky. Exo took off towards the light, but Driftblade turned towards the temple. It let out a huff before running, Jeredy clamoring after.

"Oi! Doc! Where're you going?!" Dax shouted as he and the others quickly followed. With the entire area being lit up by the large column of energy, they were easily able to keep track of where Jeredy was going. Unfortunately, it only took Jon one step before letting out a pained sound.

"Agh!"

"Commadant Marshall Jon Ace!"

He winced, holding the sides of his head. Dax looked back and forth between him and Jeredy who was getting farther away. The two soldiers crouched next to Jon as he knelt down. Since there were at least those two there, Dax turned and ran after the doctor.

He was able to keep track of Jeredy, even though it seemed like he was moving completely on autopilot. The man kept staring ahead, not even looking away as he stumbled through the snow a few times.

He suddenly came to a stop, as did Driftblade.

Dax kept running towards them, struggling against the wind and the snow as the light of the energy suddenly turned green. He ignored it, keeping his sights on Jeredy.

"Hey! Doc, what's wrong," he huffed as he came next to the other. Jeredy's eyes were still hazy, practically in a daze as he blankly stared ahead. Dax raised a brow, and let out a small gasp as he saw something flicker in the doctor's gaze. It glossed over his eyes in a yellow flash, and reminded Dax of what Jinja had said when they were stuck in the basement. Was something happening to the doctor? Or was it-

"Please! W-Wait! Come back!"

Dax gasped, and turned to the accented voice that he suddenly heard. Faintly, he could make out a figure stumbling along towards them. There was shuffling in the snow, and he heard pained gasps.

"No! S-Stay away!"

The lowlander took a few steps towards the voices, quickly recognizing both of them. As soon as he did, Driftblade let out a roar and bounded forward to large strides. It slid to a halt and let out a roar at the figure standing.

Even though he knew who it was, Dax couldn't hold in his gasp as he came closer and saw Charlemagne shakily standing and facing off against Driftblade with a ferocious stare. She turned to the rest of them with just as much contempt.

"Suno!" She hissed at Jeredy, eyeing the core in his hand, "Of course you're ze one commanding _my_ monsuno."

Driftblade roared out at her, eyes flashing brightly. Dax looked over to Jeredy, who was still standing there in a daze, staring at the woman, but not quite seeing her. The lowlander looked over to the monsuno, and caught a brief glimpse of a small, dark figure under it. Almost as if the monsuno was guarding them. Before Dax could get a better look, the monsuno let out another roar.

Charlemagne sneered, grabbing something from her jacket and turned towards Jeredy.

"Suno!"

She threw something towards him, and Dax barreled himself against the scientist into the snow. The metal flew by the two, narrowly missing. There was a 'SNAP.' and Driftblade let out a yelp. Dax quickly looked up to see Charlemagne holding a sword in hand.

"You better get away from him you foul beast!" Charlemagne hissed between her teeth. Driftblade didn't let up, snarling openly at the woman as it hunched low. Dax was surprised. The monsuno was actually hesitating on attacking her (but he would too given how ruthless she was). The monsuno didn't budge. Charlemagne clicked her tongue, most likely not wanting to try and face the monsuno head on. Instead, she turned to the other two.

"You!" she exclaimed, taking a few steps towards Dax and Jeredy. She visibly winced with every step, but had a crazed look in her eyes. Dax could see blood staining her jacket and pants in different spots, and gulped at how she was still coming after them, "I should've know you would want to keep me away from my happiness! You and that accursed son of yours!"

Dax inhaled sharply, and started shaking Jeredy's shoulders.

"C'mon doc! Say something! Order Driftblade-do something!" he shouted. Jeredy still had a faraway look as he stared up at Charlemagne. There was that flicker in his eyes again, and he shrank back a little. Charlemagne let out a laugh.

"I might not have my army back, but I did regain something today," she said slowly, raising the blade above her head, "And I'm not about to lose him again!"

"Stop right there Ma'am!"

Two figures collided into the old commandant. She let out a scream of pain as they crashed into the snow.

"GET OFF OF ME RIGHT NOW!" she roared, desperately trying to push the soldiers off. One of them moved rather fast, knocking into her wounded calf and getting another shout. She started thrashing hard against the soldiers, who were stunned at her reaction. "Get away from me this instant before I-"

"Jeredy! Are you alright?"

The two looked to see Jon running over, who had a tired expression.

"Are you okay? We came as fast as we could," he said. Jeredy ignored him, instead stiffly going over to Driftblade.

"I'm pretty sure he's okay," Dax said, a bit unsure himself. Even though Jeredy had finally moved, he did it in such a static, unnatural way, that Dax couldn't help but think of him as a man possessed.

"JON ACE! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

Dax and Jon both gave weary glances towards Charlemagne as she tried to pull away from the soldiers as they quickly placed a pair of handcuffs around her wrists. Jon shook his head, and looked back over to Jeredy, who was kneeling down by the monsuno, "We need to hurry and get going! We need to clear a path for the reinforcements and medical team to land."

"And we need to find the others!" Dax added as he walked over to the scientist. It was then that he noticed the small figure hidden behind Jeredy, now up on their elbows and staring up at the scientist. Dax's eyes widened as he locked eyes with them.

"It's you!" Dax exclaimed, marching over towards the experiment. The boy shrunk away, the strength of running away long gone. Jeredy looked down at him, then back to Dax as the teen took a few steps towards them.

"Hold on," Jeredy said, holding a hand up. Dax didn't bother waiting, ignoring the man altogether and marching right over to Exi. The lowlander grabbed his shoulders and hauled him back onto his feet. The raven-haired boy nearly fell over, unable to get his footing or control his legs and looking extremely faint as he clung onto his hand.

"Have you seen the rest of my team around?" Dax demanded, "'Cause if they're going through what Spike did, then you better pray I don't take it out on you!"

Exi wasn't paying much attention to him, instead looking at Charlemagne as she was pulled away by the soldiers. Her hair was tossed in her face, giving her the look of a wild animal as she shouted at them all. The boy sighed in relief.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Dax snapped, shaking the boy a little to get his attention again, "You're lucky that we got there in time to stop Klipse. So what else are you planning?!"

"T-That wasn't our fault..." Exi trailed off, his voice much weaker then Dax remembered, "That was... Klipse did that..."

"Too bad. Guilty by association kid. So you might as well explain what that giant light show over there is," Dax said with a sigh. Exi didn't respond, whimpering as he cradled his hand. Jeredy stood back up, looking back and forth between them. He looked up to Driftblade, who gave a small whine. Finally, he put a hand on Dax's shoulder.

"Dax. I doubt he'd have anything else to say. Besides we already took care of Spike and Klipse," the doctor said with a strange amount of sympathy, "Right now we have bigger things to worry about."

The lowlander stared at Jeredy before clicking his tongue in annoyance. But he didn't let go. Jeredy let out a sigh, instead turning to Jon. The commandant just got done speaking into a communicator, and walked over.

"The medical team is ready to land," he said after a few seconds, "We need to make an opening through the storm for them. We need to hurry and find someone who has monsuno that can-"

Knowing that he was of no help at the moment without monsuno, Dax turned back to the kid he still gripped onto. To his surprise, the boy was looking over at Driftblade with a strange curiosity, as was Jeredy. The doctor snapped out of his daze faster, shaking his head a little.

"... C'mon Driftblade. Let's go find everyone else," he said, motioning to the monsuno. It was slow to move, and knelt down for the man to climb on. He did so, helping Jon up.

"Dax," he said, then stopped. After a moment, he just shook his head, and they bounded off towards the column of light. No doubt the doctor was wanting to say something about not pursuing revenge. The man had a way of trying to lecture Dax whenever he could during the time they were working together, even though Dax was set on paying Klipse back for everything he had done...

"... So that was it. That was the monsuno."

Dax looked back to the boy, who was frowning deeply at the sight of the monsuno's form getting further away. He raised a suspicious brow.

"What do you mean?"

 _"Excuse me."_

Dax turned to see one of the soldiers from before walking towards the two. Their expression was unreadable with the visor of their helmet down, but from the sound of their voice there was a level of anxiety present.

"We'll be moving the commandan-I mean- the prisoner to one of the secure cloud hoppers. We should head out."

Dax let out a huff, half tempted to hand off the little twerp to the soldier and be done with things, if only because he would rather go after Jeredy and Jon to find Chase and the others.

"N-No," Exi said, shaking his head as he stared out at Charlemagne, "I-I don't want to go with her."

Dax raised a brow, and turned around to see the woman being pulled away by the one soldier, still struggling and shouting something in a different language (probably her own from the accent). He could sympathize with the kid, if only because he also wouldn't want to be stuck with Charlemagne.

Plus, the kid was willing to come back and tell him information on Spike. So maybe he wasn't inherently evil like Klipse (at least that's what Dax wanted to believe from the little interactions that they had).

Somewhat reluctantly, Dax loosened his grip, and watched as Exi slumped down to his knees. He curled in on himself, letting out a small sound of pain as he held his hand. It was only then that Dax noticed that it was bleeding a lot, a small splotch of red already staining the snow. It was weird seeing the little bugger suddenly so vulnerable, considering how he was part of the group that has been giving Chase a hard time for the past week (not to mention when they were stuck in the desert). Still, Dax had to give some sympathy, if only because they could both agree that Charlemagne was completely crazy. He knelt down.

"So what's going on? Where is everyone? Where's my team at? And the rest of the Hand of Destiny," Dax said lowly. The boy was fumbling with his hands, looking like he was ready to pass out. It was then that Dax noticed that there was a faint glow coming from his other hand. Obviously if he wanted answers he'd have to take care of whatever problem he had.

He hoped he wouldn't regret his decision.

"Hold on," Dax said, and tore the sleeves from his own jacket. He shivered, but knew the cold was the least of his worries. He tore it into strips, and yanked the boy's hand towards him. Exi offered little resistance, his eyes almost glazed over completely. Dax could feel the blood seeping into his glove, and started to take it off.

"W-Wait!" Exi finally said, trying to pull away. Dax gripped tighter.

"If you want it to feel better you gotta feel a little hurt first," he snapped, remembering it was something that Trish told him and Spike at one point. He took the glove off, wincing when he saw the hole in the middle of the boy's hand. Feeling his stomach churn, Dax quickly wrapped the makeshift bandage tightly around a few times before tying it off. He kept a hold on the boy's hand just in case he tried something.

"Alright. Now spill it. What's going on? Is that the shadow effect that you talked about," Dax asked, watching the kid hesitate before finally saying something.

"It's… The... Monsuno seal," Exi said, starting to go quieter, "We had to go downstairs to find it... That's what that is."

He looked over towards the light. Dax bit his lip in thought.

"Yeah. I got that much," he said, "So what now? _Is_ it the shadow effect? What's going to happen now?"

Exi hesitated, shuffling the snow a little as Dax finally let go. He held his hands closer, "Well... With the monsuno seal released, Ehna is going to use the shadow effect to take out the lynchpin. I think that's where Suno went."

Dax put a hand to his chin in thought. Of course Chase would separate from everyone to try and settle things on his own, "So. Is that what happened? Where's Chase now?"

Exi frowned even more, and looked up towards the light. Dax looked over as well, and felt his stomach drop a bit at what the kid was hinting at.

"Are you telling me that he's in there?" he snapped, then picked Exi up by his shoulders again, "We need to get going then! C'mon and show me before-"

 _"Not so fast!"_

Dax quickly turned around at the new voice, only to get sucker punched in the jaw. He fell back in the snow with a groan. He heard a gasp, and when he shook his head to get the dizziness away, Dax blearily looked up to see a figure looming over the boy, who was cowering away. There was a chuckle as the newcomer looked back at them with bright green eyes. One of which was glowing brightly in a punishing gaze.

"Hey there, squirt," the gray-haired man hissed, grabbing the front of Exi's jacket and gave a rough shake, "What brings you here?"

HLP

The cloud carrier had been especially quiet, which was fine for Drezz. He liked being able to sit back and take a good few naps throughout the day. But if there was one thing that he definitely missed was the rest of his crew.

He was sure that unless he managed to get out, there was no way he'd see any of them again. There was always the thought that, perhaps, they would come back for him. But the chances of that were slim, if only because they were loyal to Dr. Tallis. Understandably so. He was quite an ingenious man, coming up with ways to make new powerful monsuno without ever getting the attention of S.T.O.R.M.. Compared to the rest of them, he was on a different level.

Which was why they all gravitated towards the professor the way that they did. They all sought for something more from their lives. Mayhem and destruction was exactly what they wanted. Clearly the professor didn't think of them all as 'valuable,' but he was at least giving them a bigger purpose. And if he wanted to take on the world with Klipse without Drezz, that was perfectly fine.

Well... That's what he told himself the past few days (and when you're stuck in a cell with only the walls to talk to, that tended to happen a lot).

But the halls had gone strangely quiet. At first he thought it was his imagination, but that wasn't it. Charlemagne had been moved, and soldiers were no longer stalking through the corridors every so often. Clearly, something was going on.

Drezz sat up from the bed he was lying on (which was starting to get an imprint from where he had been spending too much time on), and went to the door. Peeking through the small window, he could see no soldiers. Funny. Usually there was at least two.

He tested the bars, his handcuffs jingling along. Firm. Most likely won't break without a blow torch. He tested the door. Just the same as a few hours ago. He hoped that there would've at least been a change in that. If the soldiers were all gone, then the staff running the ship would be low. And then hopefully someone would've forgotten to check the prison cells. It's not like there was anyone else down here at this point.

Instinctively, his hand went to his belt where his cores usually were (another habit that was getting old real fast in this prison). He could've easily blown this whole place away with X-100, flown off and away, and reunited with his crew. But that was a bitter dream. Chances were, Suno and his group would defeat Klipse (again) and arrest them all, eventually ending with them being sent to some prison to rot away.

Drezz leaned against the door, slowly sliding to the floor. He knew he had to try to think of some way to get out, but even with the downsized security, it didn't look like that would be happening any time soon-

Suddenly, the ship jerked, making him jump up and away from the wall. It leaned slowly to one side before straightening out.

"I really hope someone's still driving this thing," he said to himself. The alarm went off, and he could see the hallway light blink red every so often. He heard a commotion on the other side of the hallway, and peeked out the window once more. Just beyond the door leading to the other cells was the sound of arguing.

The door busted open, releasing a bunch of smoke and coughing.

"Geez! I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to set off the fire alarm! Now S.T.O.R.M.'s gonna be down here in seconds!"

"I really doubt that! considering how easy it was to get on, even with monsuno!"

Drezz gasped, he recognized those voices!

"My Punk Monks!" he exclaimed. There were collective gasps, and three figures ran from the smoke towards his cell. Their faces lit up.

"Drezz! You're actually here!" Throttle said with delight. Tinker ran up to the door, quickly tapping away at the panel on the side. He attached a small metal piece to it, and Drezz stepped away, knowing it would blow the whole door down.

Sure enough, three beeps were heard before the cell shook and was filled with smoke. The three outside coughed, watching as the door fell away from it's hinges. Drezz looked over, not quite getting his footing yet.

"What're you all doing here?" he asked.

"We're 'ere to rescue you of course," Tinker said, "Now let's get out of 'ere before S.T.O.R.M. shows up."

Drezz chuckled to himself, and stumbled out of the cell. Throttle made quick work out of the cuffs, even with the alarms blaring. As they clattered to the floor, Drezz let out a sigh, rubbing where the metal had chafted his wrists.

"Alright, let's head out then," he said, "Where's the boss?"

The three shuffled where they stood.

"Well... We actually decided to take an unpaid vacation at the moment," Ratchet said, shrugging.

"With all this Hand of Destiny nonsense, we all thought it'd be best to let everyone else duke it out," Tinker added.

"Not to mention how the boss wanted us to stay and test out his new wild core bomb. That thing looked more unstable then the last," Throttle said.

"And to be frank," Tinker said, "None of us 'ere really wanted to leave you behind. When given the choice, we all agreed it was better to be far away from danger together then be in the middle of all the commotion without 'cha."

Drezz couldn't help but smile, feelings of pride swelling up. It was strange. Even though they were all practically strangers when this whole thing started, somehow they had gained bonds that made them inseparable. Of course, Drezz felt that way the second he needed to help save the three from Suno's group during the Spin Go tournament.

"If that's how you all really feel, then I suppose I can't argue," he shrugged, "But do you think we can grab my cores? I have a feeling that they're around here somewhere."

"Sure thing," Tinker said, "We can practically wander the ship without really worrying. Haven't seen a single soldier this whole time."

"I'm guessing that they're all on the control deck trying to keep this thing going," Ratchet said as they all walked down the hallway. They traveled up the elevator, going to the floor where the monsuno labs were. There was a good chance that his cores were somewhere else, but this seemed like the logical place they'd be.

Eventually, after sweeping through a few of the rooms they found Drezz's cores.

"Excellent," Drezz sighed, taking them in hand. He felt a wave of energy go through him immediately. Already he felt better about escaping.

They ran through the hallway, getting back to the elevator. As soon as they pressed the button, Drezz noticed that it had already been moving. That could only mean someone was in there.

"Looks like we're about to have company," Throttle said with delight. They all took a few steps back, ready to tackle whoever was inside. As soon as it stopped with a 'bing!' and the doors started to slide open they charged forward shouting.

Immediately, they were halted at the sight of a woman and boy standing there.

They were all silent, staring at each other. The Punk Monks with surprise, and the other two with mild shock. It was the boy who was the one who spoke up first.

"What're you all doing here? Were you here because of my uncle? Cause you don't look like S.T.O.R.M. soldiers. In fact you guys look kinda gross. And-Ew! You smell like it too."

Drezz blinked dumbly, confused by the bombardment of questions he was getting. If they were soldiers, or even Chase's group, they wouldn't hesitate in the least bit in attacking. But these two were just civilians, and therefore harmless.

"Sebastian, don't be rude," the short haired woman said, then started to lead him out into the hallway. Her eyes set on them, as if trying to figure out why they looked familiar.

"Excuse us," Drezz said quickly, shuffling past the two into the elevator. The rest of the Punk Monks followed suit. The two didn't look bothered by the fact that the four were running around, but maybe they didn't know that Drezz had just escaped from the jail (and the last thing they needed was to draw attention if they could make a clean getaway). Tinker pressed the button for the upper deck.

As the doors started to shut, a hand shot between and stopped it. The woman was staring straight at Drezz with a serious expression. A chill went up his spine as he saw something stir in that gaze that was unnatural.

" _Don't forget,"_ she said, and released the doors.

The elevator lurched, and started to head upwards. They all let out a collective sigh.

"i wonder what that was about?" Ratchet said.

"Who knows? Maybe she's Drezz's old girl friend," Throttle snickered. Drezz felt his cheeks redden.

"I-I don't even know her!" he said, folding his arms together.

"Then why would she even say something like that? Just to be creepy?" Tinker said. He didn't get an answer as the elevator let out a 'ding!' The doors opened and they piled out onto the roof. Drezz stretched his arms above his head, inhaling the sweet, fresh air.

"Alright then. I guess we head out then," he said, then scratched the back of his neck, "Although… Not sure where we're going if we're not going after the professor…"

"I hear the south part of the country is nice during this part of the year," Throttle chirped, "how about we start there?"

Drezz nodded, and looked off towards the distance. He could see that the skies were clear for them, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was going on right now...

He shook his head, knowing it was just that woman's words that was bothering him. He pushed the thoughts away as he took X-100's core in hand.

HLP

When the light shot into the sky, the group of teens were all stunned. They were all unsure of what was going on, but the monsuno definitely did.

Moto's monsuno halted for a brief few seconds before they started to run towards the light. The other monsuno, however, were left confused. The cores started to blink with a faint light.

"What's going on?!" Jinja shouted over the wind.

"Who knows!" X-Ray shouted, getting to his feet, "But we need to take cover! Where's Bravo and the others at?"

Bren pointed towards the temple. With the light, it was easy to see the cloud hoppers that many of the remaining troops had taken refuge in. He knew that was where he left Tango at, so they needed to go there anyway. Rose motioned for the rest of them to help her get Kilo to his feet.

"Hurry! Before the monsuno come back!" she said, watching as Kumara and Itzel went over and hauled Kilo up. He was well out of it, head hanging low as they started to drag him towards the cloud hoppers.

Bren led them along, eager to get back to Tango and get her help. He didn't want to leave her alone, even with the S.T.O.R.M. soldiers there, but with no way of helping her he needed to leave to find the lone medical specialist that was there (and he was glad she wasn't that far).

He glanced backwards to see said girl still attending to Kilo even as he was being dragged along by the two new Strike Squad operatives, followed by X-Ray and Jinja. Just beyond them was the giant pillar of light that was most likely monsuno energy. He tried not to think about what caused it. Because if his hunch was correct, then the answer was obviously Chase.

As soon as they all got inside the cloud hopper, Bren ran over to where he had left Tango, falling to his knees when he got near. Bravo was close by, lying on his stomach and somewhat awake. The top of his suit was removed, bandages wrapped around his torso as they stained red on his back.

"Over here," Rose said, directing the other two to help Kilo down. As soon as they did, she started taking his top off (a deep flush running across her face as she did). As soon as they got inside and somewhat settled, Jinja turned and started to head back outside.

"Hold on!"

They looked to the new voice, and saw the two teens walking over, both wearing the Strike Squad uniform. Bren raised a brow at the blonde and dark-skinned pair, now seeing that they were the last members of the new Strike Squad.

"Lucian! Scar! I was wondering where you two went!" Itzel said, then quickly looked around, "Where's Lux? Is he here?"

The two ignored the girl, instead turning to Jinja. She looked them up and down, frowned deeply.

"Why? Or did you two not see the giant beam of energy outside?" Jinja said, folding her arms together.

"We need to wait for further orders," the dark skinned teen said, "Alpha and Lux are heading this way now, and we can't afford to just run around without a plan."

Jinja frowned even more, " _We_ can't just leave our friends out there! And I know that they are out there somewhere, along with those creeps from the Hand of Destiny!"

She didn't bother waiting for a response, immediately running back out through the opening. Many of the teens ran after, leaving Bren with Tango, Rose, Bravo, and Kilo. He paused briefly before also getting to his feet.

" **... Wait."**

He looked down to see Tango staring up at him with glowing eyes. He gulped, knowing that it was the monsuno speaking to him. But he also knew that they were probably trying to tell him something about what was going on outside. He knelt down next to her.

"What is it?"

" **You must... Get the energy contained,"** she said, voice still echoing. Rose and a few of the nearby soldiers gave her weary glances, but Bren ignored them.

"Are you talking about that thing outside?" he asked, "What's going on? Is it like before with that monsuno seal thing?"

Tango nodded slowly, eyes starting to droop, " **I'll need to... Get out of Jun's body soon.. But I can't take my form until the seal is contained..."**

The cloud hopper shook against the wind, making a few of the soldiers stumble as they ran around attending to the wounded and to get in contact with other reinforcements.

"Okay... But how do we do that?" Bren asked, taking Tango's hand. He was hoping that she could hear him right now, since it must've been terrifying to be possessed right now. Her hand slowly rose towards the exit.

" **Contain the storm before it gets out of hand... Get to the eye of it and you'll be able to-Ack!"**

"Tango!"

She coughed violently, chest heaving up and down in labored breaths.

" **Hurry... There isn't much time..."** she huffed out, " **Hurry! They have already stopped the lynchpin."**

Tango coughed even more, blood running down her lips. Her eyes stayed closed as her breathing got faint.

Even though he wanted to stay and help somehow, Bren knew that wouldn't be the way to save her. He needed to get her real medical help, which meant he had to help stop the storm outside.

And from the sound of it, she wasn't the only one who would need help.

Bren stood up, and walked over to Rose.

"Make sure to look after her," he said, then followed after the rest of them. As he got back outside, the rest of the teens were still outside staring at the bright light that had started to turn green. Bren groaned inwardly, knowing that was probably a bad sign.

He saw Jinja arguing with everyone, Bayonet now out of its core as she tried to hop atop it. With a sigh, Bren ran over to them.

"Everyone!"

There was a screech in the air, and they all looked to see a yellow monsuno come down and land. They all sighed in relief at seeing that it was Skysite with Alpha and Lux atop it. Alpha didn't bother calling it back, despite there not being any other monsuno around beside Bayonet.

"There you are!" Itzel said with delight as the two ran up to them. Lux ignored her, instead turning his attention to Alpha. The red-haired teen had a serious face, though there was a level of unease present.

"Status report," he demanded, turning to X-Ray. The teen with glasses was caught off guard, but shook his head.

"Uh... Bravo and Kilo are down," he said, "Serious injuries, but I don't think they're life threatening. But I'm sure it could get worse if we don't get out of here soon. Tango's being looked after by Rose, but there's no telling if she's-"

"She'll be fine," Bren interrupted, "We need to take care of that giant thing over there first!"

Alpha nodded before turning to Jinja.

"Where's Chase at?" he said, "I'm sure it goes without saying that he's probably the cause of whatever that is."

"I'm sure that he was, but probably not by choice," Jinja defended, "Either way we need to-AH!"

Jinja let out a gasp, gripping her head tightly. Before any of them could say something, X-Ray and Alpha were giving the same reactions. The column of light got larger, and shrieks from the monsuno could be heard in the distance. It subsided briefly, and the teens relaxed.

"What was that?" Lux asked, looking to Alpha. The Strike Squad leader took a few steadying breaths before straightening up. He looked unsure, and luckily Jinja was the first to respond.

"Monsuno sight," she said, "there's got be something going on in there. Something big is coming! Alpha, we need to attack!"

"No Alpha! We need to get out of here!" X-Ray shouted, "We need to get the others out of here while the monsuno are distracted!"

"What about the other troops?" Kumara added in, "We need to make sure we find the rest of them."

"That's right!" Bren said, "We need to find Chase and Dax and Beyal! We can't just leave them out there somewhere!"

"Alright alright!" Alpha shouted over them, "Priority will be finding everyone out there, including the rest of Team Core Tech! But first, how many monsuno do we have in all?"

They all brought out their cores. Bren reached for his pockets, and felt his heart race when some of his cores weren't there. He quickly remembered how Jinja borrowed them, and was relieved to see them in her hands. Her cores were in X-Rays hands, along with Dax's. He passed them back to her, who in turn gave Bren his back.

The new Strike Squad members each hand only one core, and Bren couldn't help but feel a bit guilty in the fact that they had so many while the rest of them had only a few. Jinja must've been feeling the same way, since she had the same look on her face.

"... Alright," Alpha said, seeing the amount of cores that they had, including his four cores, "I'll give Lux Skysite and X-Ray Blackbullet-"

"But what's the plan?" Lucian asked, the rest of the new Strike Squad also waiting for orders. Alpha suddenly looked anxious to be in command at the moment. He shook his head, replacing his unsure demeanor with confidence.

"What else? We're going to get the troops out of here before that giant funnel of energy finally blows completely sky high," he said, "Once we spin out, the rest of you will have to conserve as much energy as you can in case those rogue monsuno decide to attack again."

As if on signal, a shrill cry was heard. They all looked up to see a bat-like monsuno soared down towards them like a comet. Itzel let out a shout as it bared it's teeth.

A yellow beast intercepted in time, pouncing on top of the purple monsuno with a roar. The group of teens let out a collective sigh.

"Bren ! Jinja!"

They all turned to see two men running towards them.

"Where's Chase at?" Jeredy asked immediately. The two teens exchanged looks, but were unsure of what to say. Neither of them had seen Chase at all, nor did they know where he was at. Since they didn't bother hiding their worried looks, Jeredy's own expression started to turn. He didn't get to say anything, however, as Driftblade let out a roar when it turned into a shower of yellow. Skysite and Bayonet surged towards the monsuno when it looked to the group.

"Commandant Marshall Jon Ace," Alpha said, giving a salute as he approached the two men, "We need to get the injured back as soon as we can. Is there any way we can get a hold of the reinforcements?"

Jon let out a sigh, looking a lot more disheveled then before. One of the soldiers must've given him a new snow jacket, though that hardly hid the ripped clothes he wore beneath.

"We need to make an opening in the blizzard before that," he said, then turned to the rest of the group, "Whoever has flying monsuno will need to come with me. The ground team will be with Alpha and Doctor Suno."

Alpha nodded, already going to Jeredy's side. Bren was one of the first to step forward towards Jon. A hand grabbed his wrist however, and he saw that it was Jinja.

"Hold on," she said, "We can't be the ones to help. At least not in the air."

"What?" Bren snapped, jerking his wrist out of her grasp, "We need to help Tango! A-and everyone else-"

"But _we_ need to find Chase!" Jinja argued, "Not to mention Dax and Beyal! We can't just leave them out there! Not when we have Dax's monsuno!"

Bren bit his lip. He couldn't argue with that one. Without a doubt Dax would need the backup when they found him. But still...

He let out a sigh, looking down at his cores. He didn't want to just leave everyone to their own doings, especially since Tango would need as much care as they could muster. Bren turned to the new Strike Squad members.

"Here," he said, holding out his cores towards the girl with twin ponytails, "Make sure that you get through the blizzard and get everyone out of here!"

Jinja raised a brow, then let out a small chuckle, she held out her own to the masked teen,

"... What'll you two do?" Kumara asked. The two teens looked to each other before smiling back at the new Strike Squad.

"Don't worry. We have our monsuno," Jinja said, holding up Charger's core as Bren followed suit with Neo-Quickforce's core. And if it came down to it, they could always borrow Dax's until they found him.

"-I'm afraid helping the reinforcements isn't an option."

They all turned to Jeredy, who was kneeling down next to a laptop propped up in a steel suitcase.

"What's the matter Doctor?" Jon asked.

"The amount of energy pouring out is unreal! I-I haven't seen readings like this before at all!" Jeredy said, eyes wide as he looked down at the screen, "And it looks like it's getting worse."

"Worse? Or great. How can it get worse then this?!" Bren shouted.

"What ever is going on here seems to be triggering something across the world," Jeredy said, "It's starting to crack through the grid in a few points. And it looks like it's similar to that time that I sent you all out to get readings in the desert."

Jinja let out a gasp.

"That's right!" She said, "One of the members of the Hand of Destiny mentioned how they were going to release a monsuno seal to recreate the shadow effect!"

All except for the Strike Squad let out gasps. They weren't aware of what the shadow effect was, which only meant that everyone have to work fast. Bren gave a weary look up at the light as the clouds started to swirl about them.

"But before when they released the seal, it wasn't anything like this," he said, "In fact, it was way smaller!"

"Before the energy was moving into the core of the planet," Jeredy said, tapping away, "Because I put the grid into place, there's been a large amount of monsuno energy being built up just bouncing in between. Now that it can get out of the Earth, it's pouring out in a full flow."

"Hold on! Hold on! Time out!" Lux said, "What _exactly_ is going on? What's a 'monsuno seal' and what does it have to do with this grid thing?"

" _It's what helps keep the energy inside the Earth."_

They all turned to the new voice, both Bren and Jinja letting out gasps of relief.

"Beyal!"

The two ran to him, Jinja giving him a full embrace that lifted the smaller teen off his feet. Bren was also happy for a few seconds before he noticed one thing.

"Wait. Why are you wearing Chase's jacket?" he asked. Beyal leaned away from Jinja, gaze off to the side.

"I'm not sure... I just woke up to find it on," he said, then reached into his pocket. He revealed three cores, one being Kilo's.

"Who's are those?" Jinja asked, pointing at the red and green cores. Beyal shook his head, a distressed look on his face as he put them back into his pocket and looked to the rest of them.

"The monsuno seal is what kept the energy inside the Earth in the first place," he said without missing a beat, "It was made thousands upon thousands of years ago by the original five tribes. If it weren't for them, then the energy wouldn't have gone into the planet."

"-And since that energy was originally plummeting towards the center of the planet, I had to create the Grid," Jeredy added, not looking up from the laptop, "Since then, the energy has just been sitting below the surface."

"Well. Is it bad that it's being released?" Alpha asked, "If it's not going into the core of the planet, there isn't a chance of it being blown up. And if the energy is being sifled out, then that means-AH!"

The ground suddenly shook violently, nearly knocking them all of their feet. The purple monsuno that was fighting against them took off towards the light again. The shaking subsided after a few seconds, with the wind starting to get stronger.

"Does that answer your question?" Bren said, earning a glare from the other teen.

"Regardless, we'll still need to deal with the problems at hand. Starting with the injured troops," Jon said calmly, then turned to the group of teens, "Those that have flying monsuno, let's go!"

Jon ran off, X-Ray immediately running after. The new Strike Squad were talking amongst themselves before three of them ran after, leaving Itzel and Kumara.

"I don't see why I couldn't go with Lux," Itzel huffed.

"I'm sure you're skills will be better here on the ground," Kumara said, then looked to Alpha, "Well senior? What should we do?"

Alpha looked towards the column of energy, an unreadable expression on his grip tightened on the cores in his hand.

"... We're going inside," he said.

"What?!"

"I... Can't shake this feeling I have when I look at it," he said, looking down at Tripwire's core, "The feeling that... That inside that place is the answer."

Bren let out a gasp, quickly remembering Tango's words.

"That's right!" he exclaimed, "the monsuno inside Tango said that we need to get to the eye of the storm!"

He didn't question what the monsuno was trying to tell him, given all the times he ever interacted with the original monsuno they ended up saving him. Beyal obviously thought the same thing as he looked towards the light with a resolute look.

"Was that all it said?" Jinja asked, a bit more doubtful. Bren nodded before thinking for a moment.

"Actually... It did mention the lynchpin-"

Jeredy let out a gasp, immediately stopping his actions.

"It mentioned Locke?" he said, getting to his feet.

"Y-yeah. Except that it said that the lynchpin was stopped," Bren said, "I have no clue what it means."

"It means something probably happened to Locke," Alpha said, "And if something happened to Locke, then something happened to Chase."

With that, Alpha ran towards the light. The other two Strike Squad members looked to each other before running after.

"Hold on! Alpha!" Jinja called out, then let out a sigh, "Sometimes I wonder if he's taking after Chase at this point."

Bren let out a sigh. If there was something that he and Jinja could agree on, it would be just that. The three of them took a few steps before Jeredy stopped them.

"Hold on Bren," he said, "Take this."

The scientist handed Bren a small communicator.

"I have a feeling we'll need to stay in touch, especially if something happens inside or if I find something else about this energy."

Bren took the communicator and placed it on his ear. There was a bit of static, but that just meant it was at least somewhat working.

"What about you Dr. Suno? Are you going to be alright out here on your own?" Beyal asked. Jeredy gave them a reassuring smile, and held up Driftblade's core.

"Don't worry. I'll be just fine," he said, then gave them serious looks, "Now go in there and help my son."

The three nodded, and ran after Alpha and the other two.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	41. Chapter 41

A/N: Enjoy!

* * *

 _"...ase... Chase..."_

 _There was a voice. Familiar, but far away. Too far to recognize. It was gentle. And comforting._

 _"Chase... ake... up..."_

 _Flashes of green and blue, colors mixing together. Weightlessness. Emptiness._

 _A small figure was there. Floating alongside. Short dark hair. Bright amber eyes. Embodied in light so only their upper half was clear._

 _"Chase. You need to get up."_

 _Up? But where?_

 _He could hardly remember anything._

 _Who was that?_

 _"You need to stop them. You need to stop us."_

 _He heard her voice speaking, although her lips didn't move. A wistful, guilty expression as the light consumed everything until there was nothing but white._

 _"He needs you. The lynchpin needs you-"_

His eyes jerked open.

The cold wind was blowing.

Chase could feel it chill his bones as his consciousness abruptly returned. Shifting slightly, he let out a groan as pain started to radiate throughout his body. Slowly, he blinked a few times to see nothing but green light all around. He tried to move, but found it difficult. Eventually, he stayed motionless as he tried to build his strength up. But even lying there in the snow was horrid, considering how his arms were exposed to the cold. How was there even snow?

Where was he?

"Who would've thought such a simple little tool was the trouble behind all this?"

He heard a voice speaking, and it took him a few seconds to recognize it as Ehna's. He tried to move his head enough to see where the other teen was. But again, his strength was gone.

What happened?

He remembered facing the other teen with Locke in the cavern. The monsuno energy was let free, and started to destroy everything. But then there was this flash...

"Oi! Ehna!"

Another voice, this one he didn't recognize at all. There was the sound of shuffling, and something falling to the ground.

"Guess who I found? And believe me it wasn't exactly exciting."

There was an impact, followed by a pained gasp. Ehna clicked his tongue.

"Pente, there's no need for that. Even if the little brat has been useless," he said.

"I'd beg to differ, given how quickly he was to try and resist following. Not that he could."

A pause, followed by a grunt.

"... I'm surprised you're still alive. I would think Charlemagne would've torn that last chunk of meteor right out of your hand considering how much she hates the Hand of Destiny. And how quickly she aimed for your throat."

Chase inhaled sharply. Charlemagne? Was she here too? Why would she even be here unless she was siding with them. But if she was here, then the reinforcements from S.T.O.R.M. were there as well. They had to be.

"And that wasn't all that I found," the second voice said again, "The lowlander was chatting it up with this one, so I decided to play around." A pause. "But I gotta say, it wasn't really fun considering he doesn't have the monsuno sight or even _any_ monsuno on him."

"Really?" Ehna said, footsteps shuffling against the ground, "And what, pray tell, was so interesting that you had to talk to him of all people? Hmm Exi?"

There was a moan, and then silence. Chase took the opportunity to try and shift around towards them. He couldn't see anything in front of him except how he was in the remnants of the cavern, which was now exposed to the open. There was a bright light shooting up into the sky where the pool of water once was, though he couldn't look at it for long. Slowly, he turned his head so that he was facing the other direction. He could vaguely make out three figures, though they were still fuzzy. One of them was kneeling down, and he could tell by the gray shirt that it was Ehna.

"... Give it back," the figure lying in front of the brown haired teen hissed, "Give me... Back my shard..."

"Oh!" the standing figure said, then turned around, "We got company coming! And it feels like it's that little red-haired girl from before. I'm _so excited!_ "

Chase tried rolling over onto his side. He let out a gasp when the pain in his chest spasmed throughout. Whatever noise he made got the rest of their attention. He froze, feeling their green stares piercing through him.

"Looks like Suno's awake," Ehna said, then stood up, "Go dispose of the rest of them. We don't need them at this point anyway."

The other figure giggled before prancing away. It was silent after that, the wind's whistling being the only thing heard. Chase grit his teeth, getting up to his hands and knees. When he looked up to the other teen, he saw something white glowing in his hand. Looking closer, he saw that it was a core.

Immediately, Chase's heart dropped when he recollected what happened just a few moments ago.

His hands flew to his belt, unhooking all the cores that he had. They clattered to the ground as his eyes soared over them. There was one missing.

Frantically, Chase looked all around until he saw something blue gleaming in a pile of rubble. He gave a weary glance up to the other teen, who was ignoring him and staring down at the gray core, before running over.

Chase's body was searing with pain, but he ignored it as every step shook his being. He wasn't even sure why he felt this way considering how he didn't even get hit by any rocks when that light filled the cavern. Despite that, he dug away into the pile.

As his hands shifted rocks and quickly forming snow, his eyes landed on the lone blue core lying there. Cracks had formed on the glass as scratches from use over time were now more apparent. But Chase felt his breath catch in his throat when a horrible realization came.

It wasn't glowing.

With shaking hands, Chase picked it up with an uneasy gentleness. He couldn't even feel anything coming from it. No warmth. No life. It was... Empty.

"L-Locke..."

A low laugh started, and he quickly turned around back to Ehna. He glared at the other teen as he clung onto the blue core.

"Oh. What's the matter there Suno? Looking for your pet bear?" Ehna smirked. He threw the gray core up and down a few times, "Well. I would say he's in a better place, but we both know that's not true. If anything he's not going anywhere soon-"

"Where is Locke?! What did you do?!" Chase shouted, getting back up to his feet.

"You were there Suno. I'm surprised you can't figure it out with your monsuno sight or whatever," Ehna sighed, gripping the core tightly, "But I guess even you are too thick to figure it out. Not that it'll matter when your dead!"

The teen stared straight at Chase, and a shudder went through his body. Those green eyes were practically reading right through him, and suddenly his body was frozen.

That intense look. He had seen it before.

He fled from it before.

He _feared_ it.

When the brown-haired teen took a step towards him, instinctively Chase flinched backwards. The image of that fake Sophia flashed before his vision. Even though his mind was screaming about how he needed to move, his body just wouldn't react. Ehna laughed.

"You really are that weak aren't you? Can't even get over something as simple as a dead girl for your own safety! Even when your friends are in danger," he said. Before he could take another step, a hand grabbed his leg. He looked down to see Exi glaring up at him.

"I... Told you... To give it back...!" he rasped out. He grit his teeth as he tried hauling himself up, "You wouldn't... You couldn't get rid of it..."

The older teen shook him off, pausing before kicking him swiftly in the face. Exi fell backwards and didn't move after that.

"Be glad you're even alive right now. Especially since Droog and I brought back the other two for us to use instead," Ehna retorted.

Chase let out a gasp. Droog? Even _he_ was involved in this?

Ehna turned back to Chase, "And don't think I forgot about you-"

The ground shook. Chase nearly toppled over as he watched the energy swirling around them spark and flash. He recognized what was happening. It was like before when the wild core was spun out in the coast town, or even when One-Eyed Jack set off the energy in the warehouse. Except he was in the center of it all. And by the look of it, it was expanding fast.

He got his footing again as the quaking ceased. He needed to get his monsuno out to help take it out, especially if it was anything like the last few times. Hopefully his dad was watching the monsuno activity right now, wherever he was. At least he'd be able to help get it under control.

Because as it was, Chase didn't have time to worry about that. He needed to get his partner back!

Chase ran back to where he deposited his cores, grabbing a few and turning back to the brown-haired teen. Ehna scoffed.

"Really? You think your monsuno can help you here?" he laughed, "I wouldn't be so hasty to spin them out. Within a few moments, the shadow effect will take hold off all the monsuno! Even those within the cores!"

Chase's grip slackened, "... You're lying. The shadow effect can't do that! The monsuno are safe in their cores!"

"Well... They _were_ until I got a hold of this guy," Ehna said, flashing the gray core, "You see, with the lynchpin by our side, monsuno will have no choice but follow _our_ orders instead of you humans!"

The raven-haired teen hesitated. He wasn't sure what he could even do otherwise. But if there was one thing he knew, it was that he needed to save his monsuno.

"Babeon! Nitestone! LAUNCH!"

The cores went spinning at the teen, hitting the pile of wreckage that he was standing on. The two monsuno leapt out of the blue light, jumping to stand in front of Chase as they hissed at the one in front of them. Ehna looked at them with a blank expression.

"If you're so sure of yourself, then let's see you back up your words!" Chase shouted, "Babeon Clamering Claw!"

The ape-like monsuno roared, surging forward. It jumped with claws bared. Rocks shot into the air as it collided, and Chase held his hand out in front of him as he tried seeing through all the dust. A figure leapt out to the right. Ehna landed with two quick steps at the bottom of the cliffside, watching the two monsuno. Exi was slung over his shoulder, still out of it.

"Nitestone!"

The monsuno inhaled deeply, and let out a blast. It hit the cliff above, showering the two in rocks. Chase clicked his tongue when he saw Ehna dodge through it all without missing beat. He smirked at Chase's frustrated look.

"Well Suno. What do you think?" he boasted, "Are you still sure that you can take us on without your lynchpin?"

With that, Ehna dropped Exi onto the ground before charging towards him. Chase stumbled backwards with a yelp, the cores in his hands flashing. Nitestone jumped in between them with a snarl. The brown-haired teen smirked, quickly leaping into the air before slamming his leg down onto Nitestone's neck. It let out a garbled whine as it crashed to the ground.

"Nitestone!" Chase exclaimed. Babeon let out a ball of energy towards them. The stone lodged in Ehna's forehead flashed before he drew his fist back. With a grunt, he pounded the energy back towards Babeon. It hit dead on.

Chase gasped, seeing Babeon being thrown backwards. He turned back when he heard Nitestone let out another whine. Ehna was still standing atop it, now stomping even more on it.

"W-Why?!" Chase shouted, trying desperately to work out a plan in his head, "If... If you want to use the monsuno and the shadow effect, why are you hurting them?!"

Ehna raised a brow at the teen, he eased off Nitestone as it whimpered. He looked down at it with an unreadable expression. It was silent besides Nitestone and Babeon's murmurs. Chase stood frozen, panting a little as he waited for a response.

"... Everyone who uses monsuno hurts them," Ehna said blankly, eyes narrowed, "Whether it's Petros, Klipse, or even your father, everyone uses monsuno with the intention of hurting someone. Nothing good _ever_ came out of monsuno!"

He stomped down onto Nitestone's neck again, watching it writhe in pain. Chase gasped, feeling it's core throb in his hand.

"S-Stop!"

" _We_ were hurt by monsuno. Whole cities have been destroyed. What would you even know about the power of monsuno? Because your daddy told you about it?" Ehna sneered, "Please. You were so privileged to just remain ignorant of monsuno's evil and gain a little pet for you to run around the world with!"

"That's not true!" Chase shouted, "Locke is a part of me! He's- He's more then just a monsuno!"

There was a bang in the distance, followed by a scream. Chase turned to it, recognizing it as Jinja's.

"... Are you saying that Locke is special? That he means more to you then anything?"

Chase turned back; the answer obvious. He took a few steadying breaths, and nodded slowly. He could see Babeon slowly moving again, now distantly circling so that it was behind Ehna. As soon as he was sure, Chase knew that it would take it's chance to attack. He'd just have to wait for the right opportunity-

"Well then," Ehna sighed, then hunched low, "I'm sure you won't mind if I do _this!_ "

He drew his fist back, and punched down into Nitestone's neck. It howled, thrashing out and around to get the teen off. Chase stared in horror as Ehna punched again, a stomach-churning sound of cracking and tearing resounding. Nitestone's noises became garbled as it's movements slowed.

"No! Nitestone!"

Babeon took the opportunity to leap forward with claws shining. Ehna whipped his fist back up, sleeve stained blue, and leapt up to punch Babeon It recoiled, and he kicked it. The teen cast a look back at Chase before grinning wide. Chase's heart dropped.

"Babeon get up!"

Ehna chuckled, then leapt off Nitestone to stalk over towards Babeon, "Is that all you can do? Shout around orders? Or is it because you can't do anything without your precious lynchpin?"

Chase gulped, looking over towards Nitestone as it choked on its own breath. He ran over to it, placing a hand as he tried to calm it. Babeon hissed as the teen drew near. Ehna sighed, then turned back to Chase.

"Now watch Suno," he said, "Watch as I show you the true power that the Hand of Destiny was looking for-"

Something whirled through the air and hit the brown haired teen straight in the face. Ehna let out a gasp, flinching back and held his face. Chase looked in the other direction to see Exi shakily standing up. He was panting heavily, and collapsed to his knees as he held one of his hands close to his chest.

Ehna let out another gasp, turning towards the boy in rage. Chase winced when he saw the way the gouge from before stretched across the teen's face in a bloodied mess, opened even further at the attack. He charged towards the boy, fury flashing in his eyes.

"B-Babeon get him!" Chase shouted. The monsuno grunted, struggling to get up. It gave a few uneven breaths before collapsing again. Ehna ignored them, instead slowing down as the injured monsuno failed to rise. He stopped when he drew near the boy.

Exi looked up, eyes half-lidded as he frowned in contempt. The brown-haired teen looked down at him with a dark expression before grabbing his wrist and pulling him up. The boy gasped, trying to take his hand out of the other's grasp as he hung limply along, legs dragging on the ground.

"I-I know... You still have it..." Exi said hoarsely, "You better... Give it back before I..."

"Still trying to fight back?" Ehna scoffed, tightening his grip on the boy's wrist. He looked down at the other's hand, slowly slipping the glove off to see the last meteor shard still dug into his palm. Exi tried to pull his hand away, unable to do it without the help of his other hand that he held uselessly close to his chest.

Ehna turned back, and for a brief second, Chase thought he was looking at him. But then he noticed that the teen was looking beyond him. Chase turned to see the light that was shooting up from the pool of water. It was then that he realized _that_ was where the giant amount of monsuno energy around them was funneling out from. If that was the source, then maybe...

"... Well. That's too bad," the teen continued as he turned back to Exi, then leaned closer, "'Cause it looks like your value has worn itself out!"

With that, Ehna hauled him off his feet and flung him off towards the light.

"If you want your shard back so bad go get it!"

Exi gave out a small sound of shock as he faded into the light. Immediately his scream changed to that of pain. Chase gasped, unable to hold in his shaking at the cry.

"I was hoping to get more leverage out of that one. But then again, we are on the verge of a new world where S.T.O.R.M. won't matter," Ehna said, dusting his hands off. There was another shout in the distance, and Chase jumped. He looked back, knowing that it came from the direction that he heard Jinja's scream.

"I guess Pente must be having some good fun with your friends," Ehna said with a smirk.

Chase turned back with a growl. He was still kneeling down in front of Nitestone, and could feel it struggling to take a breath. He gripped its core and held it out.

"Nitestone, return!"

He waited for the monsuno to vanish into a blue flash. But nothing happened. Chase gasped, and held it out again.

"Return! C'mon.. Nitestone, return!" he said, jerking the core. Nitestone let out a pitiful whine, obviously wanting to go back inside but unable to. Chase looked down at the core, wondering is there was something wrong with it. But it looked like it always had.

"What did you do?" Chase demanded, a bit unsure of whether the other teen even had something to do with it. Ehna reached into his pocket and pulled out the gray core before looking to Chase.

"Nothing. Of course," he shrugged, "If anything, blame your own inability to handle your monsuno. Well. The ones that aren't as special to you."

Chase grit his teeth. He knelt back down next to Nitestone. He wasn't sure what he could even do at this point. His father would know, but he wasn't around...

Was there really nothing he could do for them? He looked to Babeon, seeing it grunt as it tried to stand again.

"Since I'm sure you'll still be hanging around here feeling sorry for yourself, I think I'll go pay a visit to your friends with Pente. I'm sure he's having a riot good time with them," the brown-haired teen said, turning towards the cliffside that the gray-haired man went to.

"You won't go anywhere near them!" Chase shouted, reaching down for another core. His hands brushed against Evo's core. For a brief second, he hesitated. He couldn't call back his monsuno, and at this point it was a losing fight either way.

But if he wanted to help the others and get Locke back, he needed to fight!

Before he could make another move, the ground shook violently again. Chase was knocked off his feet with a gasp.

"Oh! I guess you get to see the full effects now, Suno," Ehna said, watching as the gray core in his hand grew bright. Chase looked up, and then saw his own cores glowing. As the energy all around started to spark and shake, the cores vibrated until the blue color faded away. He let out a gasp.

"N-No!" he exclaimed, then looked to both of his monsuno. They were both making shrilled noises, fighting a battle within themselves. He watched as Babeon and Nitestone's blue sheen dulled away.

"Oh yes!" Ehna shouted, then threw the core as hard as he could to the side. It spun rapidly and hit with a resounding 'clang!'

The light that emerged was so powerful, that it tore away the nearby cliff and rocks. As it faded, Chase could only stare at his partner huffing slowly where it stood. When it's eyes opened, they no longer held any recognition, nor their blue glimmer.

"L-Locke-"

It let out a roar, one that was harsher then any heard before. Chase held his ears, feeling the pain in his body starting to rise up again to the noise of the sound. When he looked up, he saw Babeon and Nitestone both now rising back up.

But this time, they were staring him down with cold unfamiliar eyes.

HLP

"Are you sure you want to do this on your own?" Alpha asked, looking between the three Team Core Tech members. Jinja paused, looking back at the giant tornado of energy now merging into the sky. She turned to Bren and Beyal, both of whom nodded to her.

"Positive!"

When they had reached the edge of the energy, the group of teens found that it was impassable to go further. The sheer amount of energy was way too dangerous to even be near. Because of this, they had been arguing about who was going inside after Chase. After a brief settlement, it was decided that the three from Team Core Tech would go find him. Jinja was a bit surprised to see Alpha so resolute on trying to help out his rival, even to where he was willing to run into the monsuno energy, but perhaps it was because of some other reason.

Alpha sighed, and gripped onto his core. The other two Strike Squad members Kumara and Itzel saw him and did the same.

"Tripwire!"

"Glowsting!"

"Fleetfoot!"

"Launch!"

The cores collided with one another. The three monsuno appeared, their flashes not nearly as bright against the green light all around them. Alpha gave one last look to the three before starting his attack.

"Plasma Repeater!"

Tripwire inhaled deeply before launching a blast at the white light. It barely did anything, but they could see that there was a space beyond the wall of energy. The teen nodded to the other two.

"Petite meteor!"

"Flame Lance!"

As the three yellow blasts collided, a small opening revealed itself. It wasn't much, but it allowed them all to see that they could get inside.

"Keep it up Tripwire!" Alpha exclaimed, then looked to the others. Jinja locked eyes with him before he nodded back. She took a deep breath, and ran forward with Bren and Beyal on her heels

A shriek from their right made them hesitate, and they turned to see a monsuno diving towards them. It's jowls opened to reveal a large set of fangs that made them all flinch.

"Hurry!"

Jinja could feel the other two still following her, and knew better then to stop. Instead, she picked up the pace, sprinting until it felt like her legs would give out. The purple monsuno struck at Tripwire, making it's blast go wide.

"It's gonna close!" Bren shouted. They all dove as the opening shrunk at the loss of the attack. Jinja shut her eyes as her feet left the ground. It was only when her body hit solid ground did she open them and let out a breath of relief.

"Are you two okay?" she asked, turning to the others.

"Y-yeah. Sure," Bren said, brushing himself off. He quickly checked the communicator in his ear to see if it was damaged. But like most of Jeredy's inventions, there wasn't even a scratch.

The red-haired girl sighed, and looked up and around. Far above them she could see the opening of where the eye of the storm was. She saw another beam of light shooting upward, and saw that was what the storm was surrounding. All around them was white from the light and snow, the field stretching far across.

"I guess we have to go that way right? Try to contain that thing for the original monsuno to control," Bren asked. Jinja nodded, and looked back to Beyal.

"What about you Beyal? Do you think-"

The monk was staring ahead with wide eyes, and she followed his line of sight to see a figure lying in the distance. They were way too far to make out, and she could only assume who it was.

The three of them hopped to their feet and immediately took off. It wasn't long before they recognized who it was.

"Dax!"

Jinja got down to her knees, as did Bren. The three of them helped turn Dax onto his back, all letting out gasps. His face had livid bruising all along one side, his eye now fully swollen rather then just his cheek. There were a few rips along his shirt, and the sleeves of his jacket had been torn off. When they turned him over, he let out a groan and started to stir. His good eye slowly opened and he looked around exhaustedly.

"... Princess? Everyone...?" he said slowly, turning to each of them.

"Sure is," Jinja said with a sigh, some relief coursing through her.

"What happened?' Beyal asked, looking around for any sign of others. Jinja and Bren followed suit, now realizing that this could be a trap. Dax winced as he leaned up into a sitting position, letting out a sigh when he did.

"Ambush," he said, "The creep with the glowing eye came along when I was getting some answers. We were talking when-"

"We?" Jinja asked. Bren let out a gasp.

"Is Chase here?" he said, voice panicked.

"No... It wasn't him. I haven't seen him at all," Dax sighed, shaking his head, "No. It was the kid from downstairs. The one with the yellow eyes."

The three exchanged looks. Jinja knew that he was talking about that boy Exi from before, and knew the only reason Dax even wanted to talk to him was because of Spike. She let out a small gasp.

"Wait. Did he tell you where Spike was? Was that where you were this whole time?" she asked. Dax nodded, wincing when he tried to move his arm. Bren let out a small sound when they noticed how it was awkwardly hanging from his shoulder.

"Don't worry Glasses, this happened before. Just gotta... Pop it back into place," Dax huffed, groaning when he tried to move it again. His expression turned somber when he caught Jinja's gaze, "I... Did find him. It wasn't pretty I can tell you that. Pretty much tried to tear my head off."

"Metaphorically?" Beyal asked.

"Literally-AH!" Dax let out a yelp as his shoulder gave a loud crack. Bren looked like he was going to be sick. The lowlander let out a sigh, moving his arm with a little more ease, "Klipse tried turning him into a hybrid. I stopped the process halfway through, but I wasn't there in time to stop the effects."

It grew silent after that, the wind gusting all around them. None of them knew what to say. Jinja could tell that saying something empathetic wouldn't be much of a comfort. She knew from his reactions in Axistown that Spike was someone important to him, and to have something like an Eklipse experiment happen to the teen was probably gut-wrenching. Nothing any of them could say would even come close to helpful (and Dax wasn't the type of guy to want to talk about personal stuff anyway).

"Don't worry Dax. I'm sure he will be fine," Beyal said, placing a hand on the other's shoulder. Dax winced, flinching back in pain.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that monkfish," Dax said, "Spike made his opinion clear. And there's no telling if he's even going to be okay... Why are you wearing Chase's jacket?"

All eyes turned to Beyal, who blinked a few times. He shifted uncomfortably under their stares.

"I... He was down there. In the temple," he said quietly, "I'm not sure when he was down there. But after Duo brought me downstairs, I woke up to Six carrying me out. He didn't see Chase either though."

Jinja bit her lip, trying to figure out where their leader could be. One thing was for sure, he had to be around here somewhere. They just needed to figure out where.

"Where's Six at now?" Bren asked, now looking around even more.

"No idea. He left when we saw the light," Beyal said.

"Well... First thing's first, we need to find Chase. He can't be far from here," Jinja said, standing back up. She held her hand out to Dax, who took it with a wince as he stood.

"But we can't just search this entire area. That could take forever! And there's no telling what'll happen if we just leave this giant thing of monsuno energy just expanding like it is," Bren said, fidgeting when he got to his feet, "If it's anything like the last few times, then we don't have a lot of time!"

"Then standing around isn't an option," Jinja said, "Try to get a hold of Chase's dad and see how much time we have before... Well. Before _something_ happens."

Bren nodded, and pressed the button. The three watched him in anticipation, knowing that Jeredy would be their beacon for their next course of action.

"By the way Dax. Where did the Hand of Destiny go? And how did you get here?" Beyal asked.

"That weird guy dragged me in here for a fight, only to leave because I didn't have monsuno or monsuno sight. I have no clue where he went," Dax sighed, "But I'm sure that kid went with him. They're probably all together right now plotting their next move-"

" _Not quite!"_

They all jumped and quickly looked to see a figure stalking towards them. Jinja felt a chill when she saw it was the gray-haired man. He grinned widely, right eye surveying them all.

"Oh good! There's monsuno sight users!" he said with glee, "Now we can actually have some fun here!"

Jinja growled under her breath, reaching down towards her core, "Where is Chase at?! We know he's here!"

"He's having a rocking good time I'd say!" Pente said, the smirk never leaving his face, "Doesn't have the lynchpin no more, but maybe that's for the better!"

They all gasped. Something happened to Locke? The gray-haired man took a step towards them, not waiting for a response.

"I bet you all have monsuno now," Pente said, cracking his neck a little, "So you better make this interesting!"

The sound of a blast came behind them. Quickly the four turned around to see a purple flash crash through the wall of energy. It didn't take them long to recognize it as Exo. It looked more angry and tense then before, scratches and slashes from battle now evident. The beast roared, shaking the entire area.

"Dax, here!" Jinja said, handing the lowlander his monsuno back. His face lit up, and he smirked.

"About time! Now I can show this bloke a thing or two about monsuno fighting!" he said, turning to Exo, "Hey monkfish. How's about you and me take care of ugly over here?"

Beyal simply nodded, pulling out a core.

"Bioblaze!"

"Arachnablade!"

"Launch!"

The monsuno hissed and shrieked as they appeared in a blue burst of sparks. Jinja and Bren turned around to face Pente.

"You better have other monsuno around! Otherwise we've already won!" Jinja boasted, and took a hold of Charger's core. As she pulled back her arm, there was a flash that made her stop in her tracks.

Pain radiated from her temples, and visions blurred as the world suddenly started to spin horribly. She gasped, gripping the sides of her head as her knees gave out.

"Jinja!"

"Ha! I don't even need monsuno to take you all on!" Pente exclaimed.

"Bioblaze, Wave cutter!"

"Arachnablade, Raised barrage!"

She couldn't quite see, but Jinja blearily watched as blue flashes charged and moved around Exo. The monsuno hardly paid any attention, jumping and dodging with ease. She remembered it being strong, but nothing like this!

"Exo, Indignation!"

The beast grunted sliding to a stop, four bright purple lights appearing as it tensed up. They crackled away building even larger as the energy around shifted. With a roar it shot the four blasts forward. Three hit Bioblaze and Arachnablade while the last went wide. Beyal gasped before diving into Dax as it flew towards them. Snow and smoke was tossed into the air as it hit.

When the smoke cleared and the two teens got back to their feet, they could only watch as Exo pinned down their monsuno.

"If that's all you can offer, then Suno'll be in a lot more trouble then I thought!" Pente laughed, "Cause I'll take _immense_ _pleasure_ in ripping his monsuno sight from him!"

He let out another roar of laughter as Exo punched down again and sent Bioblaze and Arachniblade back into their cores. Jinja squinted through the spots in her vision, now eyeing Pente with unbridled rage.

" _I wouldn't be so sure about that!"_

They all gasped at the new voice, and turned towards the far side of the field. A figure's silhouette could be seen, and even through the pain that seared through her mind, Jinja was able to recognize the familiar coat and top hat.

"... Wait. Who are you? You don't have monsuno sight," Pente said, the smile on his face slipping slightly. Jack smirked, holding a red core in front of him.

"I may not have the monsuno sight, but I am still willing to strike down those who walk on the path of injustice!" He said, then pulled his arm back, "Freedomstriker, launch!"

The red monsuno appeared, letting out a booming roar throughout. The ground shook at the sound. Exo eyed the other monsuno with newfound anger. The group of teens waited for them to attack, but instead the ground shook even more until they were all struggling to stay standing.

"Bren! What's happening?" Jinja shouted, finding it easier to stay kneeling down.

"How should I know?!" he exclaimed raised his hands, "I don't even have the Core Tablet anymore-"

 _"It's the shadow effect!"_

Bren winced, taking the communicator out of his ear as it blared loudly in his ear. They all came closer to Jinja as the communicator produced static and shouts in the distance. When Freedomstriker let out a roar, Jinja cast a weary glance towards the fight.

"Uh. What was that Dr. Suno?" Bren asked. There was more static before Jeredy's voice came through again.

" _Bren? Oh! The shadow effect! It's affecting the monsuno!"_ he said, " _What ever is going on in there you need to get it in control!... Alpha and... They're also..."_

"Oi! Doc! We can't hear you!" Dax shouted. Jeredy's voice paused and muttered through the static, but not enough for them to clearly hear.

"What's there to hear? Can't you see it with your own eyes?!" Pente exclaimed, "Now there's only one last thing keeping us from destroying monsuno completely!"

Jinja gasped. That was what they were after?

Exo roared, newfound energy coursing through as it faced down Freedomstriker. Jack growled under his breath, clutching onto his core, "Freedomstriker, Burning Thunder!"

"We need to stop the shadow effect!" Beyal said, "I can feel it... It's so strong! I don't think we'll be able to stop it if we don't do something soon.'

"But we need to get past that one-eyed creep over there," Dax said, then frowned, "The other guy, not Jack."

"That's obvious," Jinja said rolling her eyes, "But we can't just sneak past and hope for the best. I have a feeling he'll be more persistent then to just stay here and fight Jack."

It was clear in her voice that she was referring to the power he had when it came to monsuno sight. She hated how weak she felt being taken down so easily, even without monsuno! But if they could figure out how he was doing it, then they could get somewhere in this fight.

"... That monsuno man had a chunk of green crystal in his back. A-And that kid that I saw in the S.T.O.R.M. base. They weren't scars at all. He had pieces in his hands!" Bren said, realization dawning on him, " They all must have something similar. I bet if we destroy the source then his powers should go away! Or in the very least be weakened enough for us to find Chase."

They all looked towards the fight, seeing Freedomstriker hiss at Exo before tackling into it. There was a flash in Pente's left eye before Exo fought the other monsuno off completely.

"I think it goes without saying where that source is!" Jinja said, then jumped to her feet before running at him.

"Jinja wait!"

Knowing that he'd attack again, Jinja sprinted towards the gray-haired man at full speed. She shouted when she got close, throwing a fist forward towards his face. There was an impact and she growled under her breath.

He caught her fist without even looking.

"I didn't think you were so eager for round two little girl," Pente leered at her, twisting her fist and making her gasp from pain.

"Let her go!" Dax shouted, running up to them. The gray-haired man grabbed a hold of Jinja's arm, swung her around like nothing, and threw her at the approaching lowlander. Dax slid on his heels too late, the two of them crashing into the snow.

"How about you two?" Pente said, turning to Bren and Beyal, "You wanna go at it?

Bren visibly flinched, and looked back and forth between Pente and the monsuno fight. Jack was too busy trying to help Freedomstriker as it slowly got cornered more and more. Beyal looked to Jinja and Dax as they tried to stand.

"... What are you trying to do?" Beyal asked, his expression serious. After getting to her hands and knees, Jinja could see that he was trying to focus on the gray-haired man instead the fighting.

"What do you mean 'trying'? We've practically succeeded!" Pente said, "The monsuno who were out have been turned against their controllers, and it'll only be a matter of moments before the same happens to the monsuno in the cores!" He said stretching his arms up, "I don't even have to fight you all. You can pass right through and _still_ fail at trying to stop this! In fact."

He walked a few steps towards the left, holding a hand up towards the direction of the smaller light beam shooting upward.

"... What?"

He shrugged, "Like I said. There's no chance of any of you actually stopping the thing, and believe me, you're barely worth my time. Go. Go and _try_ to take control of the entire world's monsuno essence. There is only one way to stop it at this point. And it's the one thing you controllers would hate to do!"

They were silent, Freedomstriker's pained groans being heard over the blasts and wind. Jinja let her gaze fall in thought. What would be the thing they would hate? She believed that they could get the energy under control, but what if they couldn't? They'd still need to stop the energy. So what would be their last resort?..

Beyal suddenly gasped.

"Your... Your not suggesting that we..." he said faintly.

"Sure am," Pente said with a grin, now eyeing the monk with a hard gaze, "You'll have to destroy the energy. All of it!"

...

...

Freedomstriker gave another pained moan as Exo grasped around it's torso. The purple beast was content on keeping it pinned to the ground, growling under its breath. It had stopped briefly, waiting for it's orders to come. Jack was still on the far side of the field, unable to get to the group of teens as the monsuno blocked the way.

"Well? Aren't you children going to hurry?" Pente asked, "Last chance before I change my mind. Go destroy the energy. Go destroy _your_ monsuno!"

"We can't do that," Beyal said, as he turned to the others, "You know we can't do that."

"Don't worry, monkfish. We've already agreed not to a long time ago," Dax said calmly, giving Jinja a look. She sighed, knowing that was one of the duties that the lowlander was given by Jeredy with the fail safe. Sure he wouldn't be so quick to suggest using that, but if they needed to...

She looked to Bren, who was deep in thought. He looked back up to the one-eyed man.

"B-But if you destroy all monsuno energy, doesn't that mean the same for you?" he shouted. The one-eyed man switched his gaze to the teen briefly before letting out another laugh.

"Why would that matter to me? I'm already dead!" he snickered, then tugged down his jacket and shirt. The four of them stared as they saw a metallic disc gleaming green in the center of his chest, "This thing needs monsuno essence to keep me alive, as does this-" he tapped the left side of his face, "We succeed: the monsuno and monsuno essence is destroyed and I die. We fail: this thing lodged in my head takes it's toll like the first time 'round and I still die."

He pulled the jacket back up, all the while staring straight at Jinja and Beyal. She shuddered, feeling Charger's core vibrate furiously.

"I'm in a lose-lose situation. So why not have a bit of fun before that?" he shrugged. His eyes slowly trailed over them all. Jinja shivered, feeling his gaze drive straight through her.

"Exo!"

The purple monsuno roared, grabbing a hold of Freedomstriker's tail and threw it towards them. It hit the ground hard, throwing snow and dust in the air as they all stumbled at the impact.

Jinja held her hands up as the snow was thrown up in her face. She ignored the cold as she quickly looked around for the gray haired man. She could hardly make out anything in the cloud of frost.

" _Well hello there!"_

She stopped, feeling a dark presence behind her. Bitting her lip, she slowly turned. To her surprise, he wasn't behind her. There was a gasp, and then the sound of someone falling. A flash of green pierced through the cloud.

"Your sight is way stronger then anyone else's here!" Pente giggled, "This'll be fun!"

The light grew painfully bright. Jinja winced, holding a hand up to block it away. She quickly realized that the feeling in her head wasn't actually there. Another's gasp alerted her to his real target.

And it didn't take her long to see the white-haired figure in blue hunched on the ground.

"Beyal!" she cried out. Without thinking, she hopped to her feet and charged forward. She circled around and went for a wide kick.

This time she hit, knocking Pente off his feet. Instead of going down, however, he turned and grabbed her leg, bringing her down with him. They flipped around until she pulled away. Before she could even get back to her feet, a hand wound itself into her hair and tugged forcefully. She gasped, her body twisting at the motion.

"Why do you keep coming to me," Pente sighed, "We've already established that you can't beat me." He pulled her up, Jinja gasping as she tried to pry his hand off, "And that means you can't protect them!"

He turned back to Beyal, who was looking up at them with a dazed look. Pente grinned, the gleam from his crystal eye growing bright again.

This time Jinja could feel it, the pain radiating from between her temples. But obviously it was worse for Beyal, who was crying out on the ground.

"Jinja! Beyal!" Bren shouted, his faint silhouette coming closer. A purple pair of eyes shone out close by.

"Bren look out!" Jinja shouted. Exo let out a roar, slamming into the ground and making it quake. Bren's panicked sounds could be heard. Jinja tried to see where he was, or even where Dax was. But with her vision growing fuzzy, it was becoming increasingly difficult to even see a foot in front of her.

"I do wanna get to see Suno though. So I guess I can finish you two off and let Exo rip the other two apart," Pente said, then paused, "Although there is that other guy with the Eklipse monsuno. But I doubt he's even worth my time."

He started walking forward, Jinja stumbling over her feet and tripping. He didn't care, dragging her along towards Beyal. He stopped, reaching down and grabbing the monk by the front of his shirt. Beyal tried to pull away, but it was a hardly effective.

"I guess I can make this painless and take your sight faster then the Hand of Destiny could," Pente said, licking his lips, "But that wouldn't be fun. I think I'd rather let your friends listen to your haggard gasps as your very soul is sucked out!"

The light from his eye grew brighter, Beyal's pained moans being heard. Jinja tried twisting around, noticing the blade that he threatened her with earlier hanging from his belt. An empty feeling grew in her stomach.

She had to do something! But she couldn't even move! She needed help!

She needed her monsuno.

As if hearing her thoughts, Charger's core started to gleam. The blue glow grew, overcoming the green. Pente halted, and looked down at her.

"What're-"

"Jinja!"

The dust in the air was blown away with the sound of a screech. The gusts increased, and Jinja looked up to see Dax flying overhead on Airswitch, it let out another shrill cry before it's wings thrusted forward. Pente changed his stance, holding up against the powerful gusts.

"Don't think that'll work!" he snapped, "Exo, pluck it out of the sky!"

The monsuno roared, jumping upward and catching a hold of Airswitch's talons. It turned around, blasting away towards the purple beast. Pente turned back to Jinja, leering at her with a twisted grin.

Suddenly, a snow ball flew into the side of his face.

Stunned, he blinked a few times before turning to see Bren standing there. He froze, looking down to his hand, and panicked immediately at the dark look Pente was giving him.

"You were the one that hit me in the temple!" he sneered, and threw Beyal down. The white haired teen didn't respond, most likely knocked out. The gray-haired man started to stalk over towards Bren, "what are you even doing trying to stand up against me! You're just a useless human maggot! I might as well wipe you from this world like the bug you are!"

Jinja's thoughts were going a mile a minute, trying to figure out a plan. And as soon as she felt the grip in her hair loosen ever so slightly, she could only react without thinking.

The next few seconds happened in a blur.

As Pente charged towards Bren, the teen stumbled backwards and fell into the snow.

Jinja inhaled sharply, twisting around until she felt her fingers wrap around a leather hilt.

Airswitch yelped, getting out of Exo's grasp and throwing it aside.

Jinja's hand drew up with the blade, and quickly came down to slice through the hair that held her in place.

Freedomstriker launched a barrage of blasts at Exo.

Pente glanced back at the loss of his captive.

Jinja threw her fist straight into the side of his face, knuckles getting cut deep on the crystal as it cracked and shattered.

HLP

...

...

Voices were all around.

They were muffled, words replaced by white noise. Thoughts from before were too far away to recollect. All he could do was focus on getting air in his lungs against the horrid pain in his chest.

Breath in. Breath out. Inhale. Exhale.

"I-I can't believe it... Somehow he's still alive..."

A pause.

"Hurry! We need to work fast before he gives!"

Hands were grabbing at his face and chest, the sound of fabric ripping. Slowly, Trey opened his eyes to see darkness. Through his left eye orange lights were flashing, and he barely recognized them as the emergency back up lights from the cloud hopper.

"I-I think he's waking up!"

"Commander!"

He focused on where the voices were coming from. Working through the haze of his mind, Trey could recognize the voices as the Strike Squad. But he could vaguely make out the faces of others there as well. Including a brown-haired person who was looking over him.

"Hurry! Try to talk to him and keep him lucid," they said, who Trey recognized as a girl. He felt someone grab his hand.

"Commander! I-I know it's hard, but can you say something to me? Anything at all," X-Ray said. Trey couldn't speak at all right now, wanting nothing more then to fall into a deep sleep. There wasn't even pain in some places, only numbness.

Exhale.

"Where is my bag? It has all my medical supplies in it. And is there any way we'll be able to get the extra troops down here yet?"

"The blizzard is still too strong! There's no way it can get anywhere close until we can get that thing over there under control! Lux and the other Strike Squad are working on getting through right now."

Inhale.

"Can someone hurry and-thank you!" the girl said, "I can stitch up his eye, but I-I don't know i-if..."

"Rose? What's wrong?" Bravo's shaky voice joined in. Their voices had gone, faded shouting and explosions sounding in the distance.

Exhale.

"I-I... I don't think it'll be enough!" Rose choked, "He-He isn't very responsive. That wound in his chest is rather extensive. I-I can't tell if-if he- if I should-"

"What? Do what?" X-Ray panicked, "D-Do you need something? More rags?"

"She means she think's it's too late." a new voice said.

Another hand joined, grabbing onto Trey's shoulder. He tried focusing on the splotch of red hair in his vision instead of his breathing, if only because it was calming to see the group rather then think about why everything was getting cold.

"Commander. You need to stay with us!" Alpha said, "We almost found a way to get through the storm, but we need your help! We need you!"

"Alpha..."

"No. Don't look at me like that X-Ray," Alpha snapped, "You know we can't do this on our own. I'm not about to send these soldiers out there to take on monsuno that essentially have no weaknesses."

Another figure ran in, this one just a soldier.

"T-There's something wrong with the monsuno! They're not taking orders anymore!"

"What?!"

The soldier hesitated, shouting coming from outside the cloud hopper, "I-I can't really tell what's going on out there. We've been monitoring the monsuno energy instead."

"And? What happened?" X-Ray asked, standing up. The soldier paused again. Trey could tell that it was reluctance of wanting to inform the team of something horrible happening. That was something common for the Strike Squad. Being treated as children despite their training and experience.

Even more experience then any of the soldier there when it came to monsuno.

"... Soldier," Trey rasped out, shocked at how his voice sounded so rough. He winced when the pain in his chest flared up. Still, he continued, eyeing the soldier despite not really seeing him, "Just... What is going on... Out there... Let them... Know."

At that, the soldier shifted before straightening up, "That tornado of energy is expanding. It'll only be a matter of time before the energy reaches us, and I don't think the monsuno will be able to hold it off for much longer! Especially now that they're resisting so strongly."

The teens were silent. Alpha cursed loudly.

"Well. We're not going to just do nothing!" he said, "We can't get away as it is until that storm calms down. If anything, we need to figure out how to stop it!

"B-But how?" Bravo said, sneezing briefly, "We don't even know where everyone's at! What can we even do to try and stop that thing out there!"

Things started slowing down all around. Trey felt his eye starting to droop. Before he knew it, his vision and hearing started to fade.

"Where's Dr. Suno?" Alpha said.

"We're not sure. He's been trying to monitor the energy, but we lost track of him when the monsuno turned on us!"

Images of everyone around blurred more and more, and Trey felt his muscles lose their drive. But at the same time he couldn't give in. Not yet.

"For now... Let's just try and fight through the blizzard. It's the only plan we got right now," Alpha said. He didn't sound very convinced, but he continued to stay tall.

Trey reached towards the red, stopping when he grabbed something. He couldn't feel his fingers wind themselves in fabric, nor could he feel Alpha cradle his hand in his own.

"C-Commander?"

He took a few steadying breaths, the pain in his chest surging through his body.

"That... Energy... You can contain it..." Trey said slowly, "Suno... He did it before... When the energy had been set off in the city..."

Exhale. Breathe. Why was it getting harder.

"What are you talking about?" Alpha asked, leaning closer.

"Suno... A reaction was set off before in a warehouse... When the Desert Wolves tried to take monsuno essence."

Inhale.

"-and the energy needed to be contained... before we can... Take action."

"Commander hold still, you need to save your strength," Rose said, a bloodied cloth in her hand. Her face had lost it's glow, now looking pale. More footsteps came cluttering nearby, along with panicked shouts.

"The monsuno are trying to attack!" one soldier shouted, "We need to get out of here!"

"We need to get this thing started!"

"Where did the commandant go?"

"Alpha."

He tightened his grip on the red-heads hand. Alpha turned to him. Trey could tell that he was afraid just by the look in his eyes. But it was understandable. He was put into a leadership position by Charlemagne without fully understanding what it would be about. And now as soldiers were left without command, they would need to turn to him for guidance. Of course he would be scared.

But.

Alpha had something with him that none of the soldiers did. Him and the Strike Squad.

"Commander?" Alpha stuttered, quickly losing confidence in his voice. Trey shook his head slowly.

"I wish... I could've had a... bond like you all did... With your monsuno."

"Wh-what are you talking about? Of course you do," Alpha exclaimed, subconsciously tightening his grip around Tripwire's core. Trey continued to slowly shake his head.

"No... I don't... And I don't think I... Ever will," he trailed off, letting his hand drop to the metal floor. For some reason it felt colder then usual. But he couldn't bring himself to care.

"C-Commander?!"

"Alpha," he said almost silently, gaze becoming unfocused, "One day... You'll make a great leader... Of S.T.O.R.M... Better then Jon... Or I..."

"Commander?" Alpha's voice shouted, becoming distant, "Commander? Trey?! Rose what's happening?!"

"I-I don't-"

"DO SOMETHING! DONT JUST- COMMANDER!"

...

...

...

Exhale.


	42. Chapter 42

A/N: Thanks to miss mysteri, ChasexJinjaForever, and monsuno power for the reviews.

Enjoy!

* * *

Everything had been going decently well when the monsuno suddenly halted. The purple monsuno that had been fighting viciously were swarming around the energy, as if trying to get inside. Because of that, the S.T.O.R.M. soldiers and the remaining members of Strike Squad were more concerned with trying to leave.

"Maybe we ought to fight through the weather like we did before," Itzel said as the five crowded around each other.

"I don't think that would be helpful. Since we can't transport injured on the monsuno effectively," the dark teen with a discolored splotch on his face said.

"I have to side with Scar on that one," Kumara agreed, "And with how fast that thing is expanding, there's no time at all. We need to stop it before anything else."

Their monsuno were screeching at the energy, as well as at the purple monsuno that would swoop by. The blonde teen with them turned to their leader.

"Well, Lux? What should we do?"

The orange haired teen sighed, thinking intently. He hadn't been in a tough situation like this one before (the simulations in training weren't exactly dire most of the time), so having this pressure was beyond terrifying. But if there was one thing that he knew, it was that staying together was the key to victory.

"We'll need to hold back that monsuno energy," he said, "That's the main concern, so that's what we'll-"

One of their monsuno let out a high pitched shriek. They looked to see their monsuno all writhing on the ground. Without hesitating they ran over.

"Spritelight? What's wrong?" Lux asked. placing a hand on it's panting body. There was a flash of something sinister, and the teen pulled back immediately. He turned to see the rest of his crew also attending to theirs.

Before he could say something, a wave burst from the light, throwing everyone back from their monsuno. Lux did a flip before landing on his feet. He watched with wide eyes as the color drained away from his squad's monsuno. They were all crying out, sprawling on the ground when the last bits of yellow and blue turned to a dull gray.

"What's going on?" Itzel asked. Before any of them could respond, the monsuno rose up, hissing low as they eyed the teens. Lux took a step back, an empty feeling in his gut building up as Spritelight hunched low before charging towards them.

Lux only had time to stumble back a few steps as its claws came at him.

A body flew into him, the two falling into the snow as a ripping resounded throughout. The orange-haired teen let out a breath when he fell, and leaned up on his elbows when he saw three of his Squad members now backing away from his once yellow monsuno. It growled low, taking a few large strides towards them.

A grunt of pain alerted him to the one who dove into him. He looked down to see bleach blonde hair and started to panic.

"L-Lucian!" he said, scrambling to his knees. He saw a gash along the smaller teen's arm, but with how fast Spritelight had come at them, it could've been far worse.

"It's... Nothing," the other huffed out, a pained expression evident, "... Be more careful next time."

Lux gulped at the sight of scarlet streaming down Lucian's arm. Spritelight let out a hiss, and he saw the monsuno look at all of them before hunching low. The orange-haired teen slowly got back up, seeing the scared faces of his teammates as they looked to him. But his mind was blank.

Spritelight roared, charged forward again.

"Tripwire, Tail Barrage!"

Sparking yellow wires surged forward, effectively defending the teens from the monsuno that slid to a halt. The yellow monsuno jumped forward, snarling as it prepared to defend against the beasts. The group turned to the voice, seeing Alpha stalking towards them. His eyes were shadowed, staring ahead towards the fight as Tripwire started to get attacked.

"Tripwire, plasma shine!" he ordered. The monsuno lit up, barreling itself into the others.

"S-Senior. What's going on?" Lux stuttered.

"Yeah, what happened to our monsuno!" Itzel shouted. Alpha ignored them both, watching the fight intensely. His fists were shaking. After a moment, he blinked a few times, then slowly looked to the rest of them. Before Lux could ask, Alpha turned away.

"... We need to stop the energy from getting any further," he said. Labored breaths were heard, and they turned to see Rose and X-Ray trailing after Alpha. The red-haired teen ignored them.

"Rose. What're you doing? Aren't you supposed to be looking after the injured," Kumara asked. The brown-haired girl panted a little, and grew solemn. X-Ray had the same expression, though he looked ready to burst into tears.

"Tripwire, Tail Barrage again!"

Yellow sparks flew at the five monsuno, some of whom dodged with ease and pounced unto Tripwire. Alpha turned to the rest of them, expression dark with fury.

"Why are you all just standing there? We need to hold this thing back!" he shouted. "Tripwire, go for the throat!"

The monsuno jumped at the closest, which happened to be Spritelight. Tripwire barred its fangs before sinking its teeth into the other's neck. Spritelight let out a howl.

"W-Wait a sec!" Lux said, running over to Alpha, "Let's just-"

"We can't afford to wait!" The red-haired teen cut off. "We need to do something! _Now!"_

"Well, you can't just start firing off against _our_ monsuno!" Lux frowned, "You don't even know what's wrong with them!"

"Neither do you!" Alpha said, now turning to face the other teen. It was then that Lux noticed that, like X-Ray, his eyes were wet with tears threatening to spill over.

"Senior? Is something-"

"Shut up. Stop it with that," Alpha turned away, starting to go silent, "... I'm not worth to be called that."

Tripwire let out a howl as Spritelight and two other monsuno piled atop it. Another was lurking to the side, watching the group with a hollow stare. The girl with twin pony-tails was the first to notice it.

"Fleetfoot? W-What's the matter?" Itzel asked, hesitant on walking towards the beast. She didn't need to as it snarled before rushing towards them. X-Ray grabbed his core and ran forward.

"Blockade, launch!"

The core spun a few times before hitting the snow bank, the crab-like beast launching blasts in time to protect the group from the other monsuno's attack.

"I'm pretty sure that's not Fleetfoot anymore," Rose said, face still drained of color.

"Next time, try not to assume your monsuno will respond," Kumara said, looking at Glowsting's core, "It's obvious that something happened."

'Well, senior- Alpha?" Lux corrected himself, "What's happened?"

He looked between Alpha and X-Ray. It was then that the orange-haired teen remembered how more then half of Strike Squad was down for the count. Maybe they were all just worried about their teammates-

"It's the shadow effect."

Scar's voice stirred Lux from his thoughts, and the team turned to their information seeker.

"The what?"

"The shadow effect. It's something that the man Emmanuel Klipse discovered," Scar explained, "There was a report about it, thought it wasn't very long. Apparently it causes monsuno and their cores to turn gray, and any control on them is lost."

"That can't be right," Lucian said, wincing a little, "How could something like that happen? And if there was only one report of it, how is it possible now? We haven't even seen anyone from Klipse around here-"

"That doesn't matter!"

They turned to Alpha, who's fist around Tripwire's core was now shaking hard.

"What?"

"You all heard me," he said, not bothering to turn and look at them directly, "We were given an order. Hold that giant mass of monsuno energy back. And that's what we need to do!"

Tripwire pushed the monsuno off itself, making sure to launch it's wiry tail coils in retaliation.

"Hold on. How are we supposed to do that without our monsuno?" Itzel said, looking distressed at Fleetfoot.

"You have other monsuno don't you? Hurry up and spin them out!" Alpha shouted, devoting his attention to the fight, "Tripwire Plasma Repeater!"

Lux was hesitant, seeing Alpha's sudden change in demeanor. But if he thought they needed to fight, who was he to question it? He turned to his teammates and nodded, each of them holding up cores borrowed from Team Core Tech.

"Longfang!"

"Shellshot!"

"Whipper!"

"Skyfall!"

"LAUNCH!"

All four cores met with the previous S.T.O.R.M. monsuno, releasing the blue beasts that were quick to attack.

"Tracer Whip!"

"Fang Burst!"

The Core Tech monsuno were fast on their feet, despite having new controllers. It was typical for monsuno to be obedient, but many reports about Team Core Tech tended to be about how reckless they were. At least those reports were false.

Lux nodded to himself, seeing his teammates easily change their styles of fighting almost effortlessly. The Core Tech monsuno were obviously different then what they were used to, but they couldn't worry about that right now. He turned back to the fight between Tripwire and Spritelight.

Alpha was shouting attack after attack, not letting up, even when Spritelight was pinned to the ground. X-Ray and Rose were standing a few feet away, but they didn't dare interrupt the teen.

"S-Alpha, wait!" Lux said, grabbing the teen's arm. Alpha glared at the other teen, looking like he'd start attacking like his monsuno, "Can't you just hold on so that we can find out how to fix this?"

"Kid, we don't have time for-"

 _"Please._ "

Lux was firm, keeping his grip tight in case Alpha decided to resist. He stared straight into the other's gaze, and what he saw made him gasp.

Streaks of tears were pouring down the red-haired teens face.

"It's my fault," Alpha said almost silent against the wind as he turned away, "… I should've waited for the reinforcements."

"What are you talking about?" Lux asked, confused. Tripwire, must've felt the hesitance in its controller, now backing away from the other monsuno.

"… I should've waited for Jon and the others to show up before going into the temple," Alpha continued, shoulders slumping, "I-If we did then maybe we could've attacked all together… Maybe I could've been there to help! Maybe if I used the new core I had! I-I could've… FUCK!"

Tripwire roared, now charging towards another one of the S.T.O.R.M. monsuno. Alpha gripped the core tightly, trying to wipe away the tears that poured down his cheeks. Lux stood there, unsure of what to do as the other teen slid to his knees. A whine got his attention, and he looked up to see Spritelight now trying to get back up.

Lux gulped, not sure if the monsuno would try and attack while it was so wounded.

"… I think I get why he made another Strike Squad."

The orange haired teen looked back to Alpha, who was now staring down at his monsuno's core.

"What?"

"The commander. He helped make you all," Alpha said, almost monotonously, "We failed so much… He was probably wanting to replace us for a while now. We can't even-We couldn't even _\- I_ couldn't even-"

Lux knelt down next to him, and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop that," he said firmly, "I don't know what just happened, but don't say that. We're not here to replace you!"

Alpha continued to stare at the ground, ignoring Lux. The teen clicked his tongue, and grabbed Alpha's other shoulder so that they were facing each other.

"Listen!" he said, shaking him hard until they were staring at each other, "The last thing we're here to do is make up a new Strike Squad to be a replacement team! We're an expansion!"

Alpha blinked, surprise slowly replacing the guilt in his eyes. Lux quickly glanced to Spritelight to make sure it was still grounded.

"Wh-what did you say?" Alpha asked softly. Lux sighed, keeping an eye on his monsuno.

"I- Now's not the best time," he said, "We can explain later, but whatever you're thinking about us is not true. Trey is proud of what you do! He admires the way you fight! He always talks about your team!"

Lux got up, making sure to bring Alpha to his feet as well. There was still uncertainty in the red-haired teen's expression as he looked to the ground.

"And that's not all. My team has always admired your feats in S.T.O.R.M.," Lux admitted. Alpha didn't say anything, now looking to the ground. They both looked to the other Strike Squad, who were all holding their own against the monsuno.

"... But it's never good enough," Alpha said bitterly, "Nothing I did was good enough. Just like now..."

"Se-Alpha. It is!" Lux shouted, tearing his gaze from his teammates, "Our monsuno weren't even able to stand against this shadow effect, and yours did! That counts for something!"

Alpha let out a small gasp, watching as Tripwire assisted the group without needing any commands. Glowsting jumped away, and started to run towards them.

X-Ray stumbled in front and brought up Blockades core. As his monsuno jumped in front of them, Glowsting vanished. They gasped, and heard a screech behind turned to see gray coming straight at them.

Tripwire was quick to turn and jump in front of the monsuno. It took Glowsting's tackle head on before flipping them both away from the teens.

Lux looked back to his team, making sure that they were still doing alright. He took a breath, feeling his hands quiver with anticipation. It was now or never.

"Alpha."

The red haired teen looked to him, shock still in his eyes.

"I'm... About to try something stupid. So I need someone to look after my team in case something happens to me," Lux said, grinning nervously. He passed back the cores he had to Alpha, knowing that there was only one that he needed. Finally, he turned to Spritelight.

He took a steady breath, and ran towards his monsuno.

"W-wait! Lux!"

The orange-haired teen didn't stop until he was right next to his monsuno. He could see it struggling to breath, probably from the attacks that it had to endure. He looked down at the gray core in his hand, not seeing the statistics show up. Somewhat hesitantly, Lux placed a hand on the monsuno. It stiffened under his touch, but didn't react violently.

"S-Spritelight?" he said softly, "Please. If you can hear me. You have to fight this-whatever is happening. I don't know how to help you, but please. You have to fight it!"

The monsuno hissed, struggling back to it's feet. His pep talk to Alpha about how he was able to keep Tripwire from turning gave Lux an idea. Trey once told his team about how they would probably have an easier chance of bonding with their monsuno then he had. Now was a good time as any to test that theory.

Lux leaned closer, wrapping his arms around his monsuno's leg.

"I- We haven't done this for long. But everyone needs us! We need to make this happen!" he said, burying his face in the monsuno fur, "We can't let our hard work go to waste! We sacrificed so much to be here! Please…"

The monsuno rose up, and Lux stiffened. He hoped that it was listening. He prayed that by some miracle that it was hearing what he was saying. If this didn't work, there was no telling if he would be alive for the next few seconds.

As if in response, he felt something.

Not physically, but something warm that went through his mind that suddenly left him feeling strangely whole. Spritelight must've felt it too, because the tension in its body seemed to slowly slip away. He didn't dare look up, waiting for the feeling to go away. But it continued, and Spritelight fell back down to the ground.

Lux finally looked up, seeing how calm it had become. And he thought for a moment that- yes! The yellow color was returning! He quickly glanced back down to the core, the yellow light filling inside once again.

He gave a nervous laugh, and finally one of relief.

"I-It worked!" he said, gripping the core to his chest, then fell on top of his monsuno. There was a bright white light above him, and at first he thought it was column of energy. But when he looked up, he let out a gasp of surprise.

It was a magnificent white dragon.

HLP

When Jinja's fist connected into a resounding punch, they were all left in a stunned silence. Even after she stood there panting and waiting for a reaction from the gray-haired man, none of them said anything. Dax was flying overhead atop of Airswitch as Bren watched from where he sat. Beyal was still lying in the snow, starting to stir.

As soon as Pente let out a low chuckle, Exo let out a roar. Immediately, the monsuno started to lash out.

Purple blasts flew in all directions, many of them nearly knocking Dax out of the sky. Jinja dropped the knife and gripped her wrist, knuckles bleeding as Pente turned back to her with a twisted grin.

"J-Jinja," Bren stuttered. His eyes were trained on the locks of red that were strewn across the snow, slowly blowing away, "A-Are you-"

" _Did you think that it would be that easy?"_ the gray-haired man hissed, glaring at her as he gripped the side of his face. Both Jinja and Bren shuddered at the sight of green liquid seeping between his fingers." _You better start praying now, 'cause your going to be begging for the end before I'm done with you!"_

Exo's blasts started to hit all around them. Dax nearly fell off Airswitch a few times as they avoided the ones aimed in the air. He glanced down towards ground, seeing the gray-haired man taking a few steps towards Jinja. She threw another punch at his face, then another when he kept advancing. He just laughed, grabbing her fist and delivering a swift kick to the stomach. She fell to her knees with a pained gasp.

"Airswitch, Restraining Siege!"

It screeched before swooping down at Exo. The other monsuno had been so distracted that it didn't even notice the two as they struck its side. As the ape-like monsuno rolled over a few times, Airswitch flew back up and around towards the others. Both Bren and Jinja saw and ducked down. Dax waited for the last second to jump off as Airswitch grabbed a hold of Pente and crashed into the snow with a surprised shout.

"Good timing there," Bren sighed, readjusting his glasses and dusting himself off. He looked towards Airswitch as it struggled to get up, and grabbed Neo-Quickforce's core. Before he could spin out, he saw Jinja get up and run to the side.

"Beyal!" she shouted, falling to her knees as the white-haired teen leaned up. He was holding his head, looking around confused. His eyes widened when they landed on Jinja.

"Jinja? What did you-"

Airswitch let out a shrill cry. The group turned to see it falling over into the snow, Pente looming over it with a ferocious look.

"You know what? Screw it!" he shouted, still holding the side of his face, "Forget your monsuno sight! I'd rather see Suno's face as I drag all your corpses to his feet! Exo! Raging Mist!"

It took a moment, but the monsuno calmed down enough to set its sights on the group of teens. It inhaled sharply, purple sparks forming between its jowls. As the air got charged, Beyal shakily got to his feet, quickly grabbing a core.

"Glowblade, launch!"

The core clattered against Exo's claw, the cobra-like monsuno bursting forward and tackling into it. The purple sparks flew backwards as the two fell to the ground. There was a shout, and they all turned to see Pente sprinting towards them. The knife that Jinja discarded was in his hand, and was thrown straight at them.

" _Try and dodge this!_ "

The blade zipped through the air, too fast for any of them to react.

There was a 'PANG!', and the blade spun off to the side.

All five of them let out surprised gasps as Jack stood there, metal arm held in front of him. He glared at the other man.

A red flash got their attention. Freedomstriker jumped overhead, landing in front of them. Snow tossed in the air as it snarled. Pente clicked his tongue in annoyance, turning around to see Airswitch rising up again. Glowblade had effectively coiled itself around Exo, two of its heads leering towards the group as well.

"It'd be best if you step down now," Jack said confidently, "We have you surrounded, and I believe you are outnumbered!"

Pente scoffed.

"Out of the way old man," he sneered, "You don't even have monsuno sight. Not exactly worth anything in this fight."

The man with the top hat grinned, holding his core up a little.

"Jack. What are you even doing here?" Bren asked hesitantly. The man let out a sigh.

"I came here as soon as I got a message from Bekka about visitors in the temple," he said, "She had a bad feeling about them, especially because Emmanuel Klipse was with them. I didn't hear from her after the first call, and could assume what happened. As soon as that light showed up, I found my way inside here, along with-"

"Don't ignore me!" Pente shouted now looking at each of them, his eye glowing brightly behind his hand. Jinja and Beyal let out gasps, taking a few steps back. Jack stood in front of them, Freedomstriker's core in hand. The red monsuno shot blasts towards the cloaked figure. The light faded as Pente jumped out of the way, not stopping when Freedomstriker continued its attack. After a dozen blasts, it finally halted. Pente giggled.

"I guess I can spare some time for you old man!" he said, "Just know that I'll take great pleasure in peeling back your flesh to see what other little mechanisms you have hiding under that cloak!"

There was a shift in the air. Exo roared in pain, Glowblade backing off somewhat. The purple monsuno didn't bother to attack again, now stalking towards the red one.

"Hurry! You all must get to Chase Suno," Jack said, "I have a bad feeling about brother Locke."

"You shouldn't fight him alone," Dax said, "He may not have monsuno, but he could do a lot worse on his own."

"We can all help!" Bren added, "If we all spin out-"

Jack held up a hand to silence them.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that," he said. Briefly, his eyes trailed over each of them, lingering for a second on Beyal. His gaze fell, and he turned away. Freedomstriker let out a whine as it took another blow.

"No," he repeated, "You all need to go. You need to help the monsuno. Find Chase Suno and bring this to an end!"

He didn't leave them time to argue, running towards his monsuno.

"Freedomstriker, Sonic Howl!"

"C'mon!" Bren said, taking a few steps through the snow towards the center light. The other three exchanged looks before running after. Dax signaled Airswitch to come lower, the teens hoping on top as Glowblade trailed behind them.

"I-I think I see him! But we probably have to get closer," Bren said, leaning forward as he surveyed the ground ahead of them. Jinja sighed in relief, and looked down at her bleeding hand.

"Is it bad, princess?" Dax asked, cradling it in his own. She winced, hearing a cracking noise.

"I'm pretty sure I broke something. But can't worry about that now," she sighed. Dax reached into his pocket, pulling out a strip of dark fabric. She recognized it as his jacket sleeve.

"What happened to _your_ jacket?" she asked. Dax shrugged, finishing the makeshift bandage and keeping her fingers stiff. He noticed Beyal still watching the fight that was getting further behind.

"Don't worry, monkfish. I'm sure Jack will do all right until we get back," he said.

"It's not that," Beyal said, his gaze hard, "It's... No, never mind."

A shrill monsuno cry got their attention, the three turning to face forward. Bren's face had turned pale.

"Uh. Guys. Found him," he said, not looking up at them, "And I think you gotta see this!"

They looked over his shoulder, gasping at the sight of Chase's monsuno. Only they were different.

"Airswitch! Circle around!" Dax ordered. The monsuno turned back, preparing to drop down into the large depression where their leader was.

Chase jumped out of the way as Babeon tried to claw at him from above. He had a split second to get back up and start running as Nitestone charged after him.

"N-Nitestone, you have to fight it!" he shouted over his shoulder. The monsuno ignored him, jumping up with a garbled snarl. Chase tripped, sliding down a slope as Nitestone came to a halt. He let out a yelp as he landed, stumbling before landing in the snow. He let out a huff, gritting his teeth as he got to his hands and knees.

"What's wrong Suno? Can't do much on your own?" Ehna laughed. Chase looked up, glaring at the other as he stood a top Locke. There was a growl, and he quickly turned around to see Babeon and Nitestone behind him.

Chase took a few breaths, getting a foot below him as he got into a lunge, "Wh-why don't you get down here and face me instead of hide behind my monsuno!"

"You mean like how you were just a moment ago?" Ehna said with a raised brow, "If you were smart you would've stopped while you were ahead instead of getting your useless friends involved. Not that they even matter at this point."

Chase raised a brow, watching his monsuno cautiously, "And why wouldn't my friends matter? You're the one who brought them here!"

"Because I knew _you_ would follow them," Ehna said with a shrug, "And right I was. You weren't far behind us when we took the girl and lowlander. You went running through the temple without so much as caring whether or not you should just find them and leave. I even left the monk boy for you to find and you just left him."

Chase gave a small gasp, his gaze falling. He leaned back a little, feeling one leg sink into the snow.

"You did exactly what we thought you would, and you still think you can win? You don't have monsuno, and you don't have the lynchpin," Ehna said with a sneer, "You're nothing right now."

He sat there, the snow making him go numb. He really did screw this one up. This whole time he had been acting so rash, he failed to realize how many times he could've just turned around and left things for S.T.O.R.M. to take care of. But it was his bond with Locke that made him overconfident. And now he didn't even have that...

There were two shrieks, and both Babeon and Nitestone were thrown back by blue flashes. The two teens gasped, seeing the large bird and snake thrash against the wolf and ape.

"Chase!"

He heard the shuffling and sliding against rock, and turned to see his team running towards him. He didn't bother to get up.

"Chase. What happened?" Jinja shouted.

"Yeah. Are you okay?" Bren followed, sliding to his knees. Chase was silent, staring down at his hands. His friends all gasped.

"Is-Is that-"

"Yeah. It's Locke," Chase said, still staring at the blue core in his hand," There was... He took Locke. I dunno how but he did."

"Looks like we were too late to stop the shadow effect," Dax said, watching as Airswitch hissed at Babeon before clawing at each other.

"Chase. If this is like the shadow effect, then you can get Locke back," Beyal said, kneeling down next to him. Chase shook his head, and held up the faint blue core.

"No. It won't work," he said slowly, "It wasn't the shadow effect that took Locke. It was-"

"It was this!"

The four looked up to Ehna, who was tossing something gray up and down. He held it between his fingertips, flashing the core at them.

"I didn't actually trust that Pente would pull through with taking a hold of the monsuno-which is pretty true considering how you're all still standing here," he said, gripping the core tighter, "And I needed to make sure there was some way to control the monsuno without him. What better way then the 'ambassador' between humans and monsuno?"

As if agreeing, Locke let out a roar. The crystal's on it's back lit up, and beams shot towards the group. Jinja and Bren jumped in front of Chase.

"Charger!"

"Neo-Quickforce!"

"LAUNCH!"

The core collided with each other, the two monsuno leaping up and taking the direct hit. The group blocked their eyes, waiting for the dust to clear. When it did, they saw Locke charging at them.

"Metal Shield!"

Charger stood in front of the teens. Locke roared, hitting the other monsuno straight on. They all took a few steps back, seeing the rage that was evident in Locke's eyes.

"Locke. Get them out of here," Ehna said, holding the core, "Grappling Blast!"

With a huff, Locke grabbed Charger with one claw and tossed it far to the side. Immediately, it reached over and grabbed Neo-Quickforce to do the same. The flying monsuno crashed into Charger, Locke jumping at them as its body lit up.

"It's insane how much power a single monsuno could have," Ehna said, now eyeing the group of teens as he stood on the far side of the snow covered field, "One would think too much power to be running freely like they are. That was probably the one good thing that useless father of yours did for humanity, Suno. Limiting them to their eight minutes." He looked down at the gray core, smirking, "Doesn't matter now though does it."

Jinja and Bren glared at the brown-haired teen. Both Dax and Beyal were split between their own monsuno's battles and the others, looking back and forth between them. Chase got back to his feet, staring hatefully at the other teen.

"Bren. Jin. Cover me," he said, "I'm… I'm going to try and get that core!"

"Hold on," Bren said, and slipped the communicator from his ear. He held it out to the other teen, "Here. Your dad gave this to me. Try and ask him for a solution!"

"I'm not sure if he could B," Chase said, still taking it anyway, "I don't think my dad would know what to do about a core that can take people's monsuno."

"Use your monsuno sight!" Beyal said, watching Glowblade blast three beams towards Nitestone, "You can still call to Locke! At least try!"

"Yes Chase go ahead and try," Ehna mocked, "I mean. You can try, but it's not going to matter once the energy fully consumes the monsuno's minds with the shadow effect."

Chase took a step back, biting his lip. He shook his head, and looked up with determination.

"It doesn't matter. As long as Locke is away from you, that's all that matters!" he shouted, and ran forward. When he got near the other teen, he threw punch after punch.

"Is this really he best you can do?" Ehna scoffed, dodging with ease and focusing more on the monsuno fighting. Chase growled under his breath, still throwing punches.

Nitestone and Babeon looked exhausted as they fought against Airswitch and Glowblade. And yet they still continued to fight with all their might.

"Glowblade, Streaking Blades!"

"Airswitch, Hurriclaw!"

The two teens looked down at their cores, seeing how little energy their monsuno had left against the fight with Exo and Pente. They had others in reserve, but at this rate they'd be out before they could even try and help Locke.

"Oi! Princess!" Dax shouted, "How're you two holding up?"

"Not well!" Jinja responded, "Locke is just a strong as ever."

"We could try the hyper modes," Bren suggested. Neo-Quickforce shrieked, blasting at Locke.

"But if we can't defeat them with the hyper mode, we won't be able to hold any of them back," Beyal said, looking down at the remaining time his monsuno had.

"We're going to be out of time anyway if we don't try something!" Jinja said, "Charger, hyper mode!"

The bull grunted, and roars as its body transformed. The other three teens followed suit. As if knowing, Chase's monsuno took a few hesitant steps back.

Ehna watched the transformation as well, raising a brow. Chase's shout got his attention, and he was quick to grab the raven-haired teen's fist as it came close.

"That's interesting," Ehna said, "Is that a new monsuno trick your father came up with? I wouldn't be surprised."

Chase growled, drawing his other fist up for another punch. Ehna stepped out of the way, letting Chase's momentum carry him forward. He fell face first into the snow.

"How is it that you're the top monsuno fighter in the world, and yet you can't even hit me?" The brown-haired teen sneered. Before Chase could respond, he was picked up by his shirt and thrown back towards the others. He shouted as he collided with Bren, the two falling into a heap.

"Chase! Bren!" Jinja exclaimed. The two groaned, sitting up. Chase rubbed the back of his head where he hit the ground.

"Wow. If this is really the best you all can do, I might as well end this now before it becomes pathetic," Ehna sighed, "Locke, send them back to their cores!"

The polar bear grunted, and jumped up into the air.

"Jade Surge!"

It's body shone brightly, slamming down into Charger and Neo-Quickforce.

"Charger hold on!" Jinja shouted and reached for her belt. She froze, realizing that there weren't any cores there.

"Ha! See? The first thing you humans do is try and rely on monsuno!" Ehna smirked, "But it's expected from you inferior beings!"

"How can you even say that? You're human too!" Bren said, then shuffled in his seat, "Well. More human then the Hand of Destiny."

" That's a good one," the other teen said, fiddling with the gray core, "The Hand of Destiny made us all with their own failed attempts to become all powerful. And what did they want? Monsuno energy. Those creatures just provide a false sense of power to you all."

"They're not just a source of power!" Beyal said, turning towards the teen, "Monsuno provided companionship and a bond that's irreplaceable!"

Ehna watched the white haired teen, then looked at each of them before his eyes eventually landed on Chase. He huffed under his breath.

"You say that monk boy like its a fact," he sighed, "Yet, the Hand of Destiny was able to do just that! Their shapeshifter cores? My sole existence? Though I'm not surprised that you don't remember me, I did look a little different back when we first met in that desert base."

Jinja stiffened immediately.

"... If there was one thing I had to say, it would be that you all made it farther then I thought you would. Takes a lot of guts to just come running head first into the end of the world!"

The ground shook violently. The team's monsuno started to become restless. As soon as they became distracted, Locke pinned Charger and Neo-Quickforce even further into the ground. Nitestone leapt around until it latched itself into Glowblade as Babeon only had to claw at Airswitch before the monsuno fell to the snow

"Wh-What's happening?" Bren shouted. Beyal let out a gasp.

"It's monsuno energy!" He panicked, "There's something happening in the air!"

"Time for the rest of your monsuno to fall under the effects!" Ehna chuckled, "Don't bother calling them back! It won't save them. And you all might want to brace yourselves!"

Before any of them could move, the light grew bright, and a burst of energy erupted from it. Ehna's laughter was somehow still audible against the wind and energy.

All they could do was watch as the light grew bright all around them.

HLP

 _"Get back up you stupid creature!"_

 _"Ma'am. You're putting too much stress on it. I don't think-"_

 _"Shut up! I didn't bring you 'ere to give me lip. You're 'ere to make sure zis beast doesn't give out! I still need it!"_

 _"Y-yes Ma'am."_

 _"Good. Now. Up on your feet! That doctor Jeredy Suno broke free from S.T.O.R.M. and it iz our job to try and bring him back. You and me both, Driftblade- AH!"_

 _"Commandant!"_

 _"You wretched no good... Send it back into ze room! I've 'ad enough of zis beast. Get it out of my sight! And be sure to keep the amount of energy low. It won't be long before I break it completely. Then I can begin the search for Jeredy Suno!"_

 _"Ma'am. I-I think you ought to give it more time to recover."_

 _"... Why."_

 _"I-Well. It's just that. The monsuno has started becoming more vicious, and according to Dr. Suno's notes we recovered, monsuno need human interaction to become more docile and-"_

 _"Jeredy Suno iz just some air headed man! He knows nothing about true power! Besides, we just need to break it's spirit. Then it'll listen without hesitation! You 'ear me you horrid creature! You 'aven't seen anything yet!"_

...

...

There was nothing but pain.

It radiated everywhere. His skin felt like it was on fire, and his bones were rattled to the core. There was no feeling left anywhere. The only indication that he was even alive was the burning air that filed his lungs every breath.

His vision was dark, except for the bright green light that was close by. As it cleared, there was a cavern nearby, stretching into darkness. He must've landed on a cliff while falling through the energy. He turned towards it, seeing a bright figure standing there in the light.

"... Get up."

It was a feminine voice, somewhat commanding. He froze, hoping that it wasn't the blonde woman who was following him.

" _Hurry up you infernal beast before I lash you even more!"_

"Please? Would you get up?"

It was obvious that this voice wasn't the woman's. This voice was someone else. It was soft, no hate at all. He tried speaking, finding his throat scorched by the energy, only managing a small croak.

She shook her head slowly, "No. I'm not Tesserah. And I am not Sophia Suno either. I am... More."

He didn't bother to move, lying on the cold ground within an arm's length of the wall of green. The woman held a hand out.

"Get up. You cannot die here," she said, eyes glistening, "What you're looking for is just beyond here. All you need to do is reach out for it."

He stared at her, then squinted when he saw something further inside the energy. There in the center were a few pieces of green crystal. He recognized them as meteor pieces.

"Take the shards," she whispered, "Take the pieces of monsuno meteor and cast it away. Join with humanity once again."

His body protested with every small twitch and jerk. But he needed that piece of meteor. If he could use the last piece he had to take away enough energy, then maybe he could clear a way to his shard. Slowly he reached towards it, and recoiled as soon as a burning pain shot through his arm at the contact of the monsuno energy.

But. He wanted it back.

He wanted it back so much that he was willing to endure the pain of the energy as it seared off his very flesh.

He got up onto his knees, shakily holding up his right hand. The familiar buzz of energy seeping into his hand grew. But it had been so long that it stung like a thousand needles. He grit his teeth, feeling the unnatural energy flowing away from the burst into his arm.

And as soon as it did, flashes of Driftblade's memories surfaced once again.

 _"You horrid thing! I'll make you pay!"_

 _"You lost to Jeredy's little brat of all people! I should just dispose of you now!"_

 _"Did you 'ave enough? Because I think you're performance earns you at least an hour more out of your core!"_

He flinched back briefly. But he couldn't stop by this point. He could see the fragments floating close by. They had to be the answer to stopping these cursed images.

With a deep breath, he reached forward, taking a hold of the three pieces and pulling them close. But for some reason they didn't budge, held in place by an invisible force, and instead he was pulled towards the heated energy. He cried out when the flesh on his knees started to sizzle.

"Hurry! Just reach towards it and take it out," the woman urged, watching patiently "Take it out and this'll all be over!"

He tried to pull the pieces out, but without any real strength left, they weren't moving.

But that didn't mean he would stop here! Not with that blonde woman out there ready to tear him apart like she had started to with Driftblade. With a shaky breath, he held up his other hand into the energy, facing it towards the pieces. He heard the woman gasp.

"Wait!" She shouted, "you just need to take them out! Take the fragments away from the seal and the original monsuno will help restore balance! You can't just turn your back on us and become one of them again!"

The fragments burned his fingertips, his glove and bandages starting to burn away. Shaking, he held his bloodied hand towards the pieces, already feeling the energy starting to flow through his veins again.

"Stop! You can't just put them back in! You can't just-STOP BEFORE I-"

With one last tug, Exi pulled the shards of meteor towards him, shoving them all into his bloodied palm with a small scream. Knowing there wasn't time left, he pulled away from the energy, cradling his hand as the pain started to radiate out to his whole arm.

The loss of the shards immediately took effect. The energy unleashed in all directions, cutting through the rock in a chaotic flash. It quickly enveloped everything, green changing to blue.

The woman's figure faded into the light still shouting at him. He felt giddy, the power starting to flood through his body again.

But then something happened.

Instead of ceasing, the flashes of Driftblade came through like a flurry. A painful recollection that he was forced to watch and unable to resist.

" _Useless!"_

 _"Pathetic!"_

 _"Never again!"_

 _"I'll rid this world of you all!"_

 _"I HATE ALL OF YOU MONSUNO!"_

He curled inwardly, getting lost in the fear and pain that the monsuno felt while being abused by that woman.

This wasn't what he wanted.

This wasn't what he-

He didn't want to feel-

Why did this happen-

Overwhelmed, his mind had become so lost that he didn't even feel his body shutting down at the large intake of energy. He collapsed, eyes blankly staring ahead as light consumed all.

And as time began to slow, a pair of bright blue eyes were gleaming out from the white, growing larger as they came close. The shadow of a large figure loomed over, followed by a flash of a red jacket.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	43. Chapter 43

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, Kathywood67, and monsuno power for the reviews! There are only two more chapters after this (AAHHH). And I honestly might just post them both at the same time just for the heck of it. Can't believe this is almost over though agh!

Enjoy!

* * *

The ground shook horribly when the wave of energy was released. Team Core Tech had nothing to hold onto and were blown backwards as the light got blindingly bright. Chase landed on his back, letting out a gasp as he struggled to sit up against the wind. It was so strong, that the most he felt he could do was watch as Ehna continued to laugh at their predicament.

"Now. Let's see what you all can do now that _none_ of your monsuno will obey!" he exclaimed, jade eyes shining just as bright as the pillar of light.

Team Core Tech all looked around, seeing their monsuno curling on the ground as the blue glow around them started to fade fast. Chase reached down to his belt for his last monsuno, that being Evo. Even though Evo wasn't out, the core itself was also getting drained of its color.

"Neo-Quickforce? What's wrong?" Bren asked, looking back and forth between his monsuno and the core in his hand. Chase growled, turning back to Ehna.

"What's wrong Suno? No pep talk for your friends?" He said with a smirk, then held up the gray core, "Well I got something for you! Locke, Power charge!".

The polar bear grunted, and sprinted at Charger and Neo-Quickforce. They didn't bother to dodge as it struck both with one large body slam. The two were easily tossed aside.

Bren and Jinja ran towards their monsuno, watching as the beasts tried to get up. The two teens looked down to see the indicators phasing.

"We have to call them back!" Jinja shouted to the rest of them, remembering how the last time their monsuno went under the shadow effect they returned to normal after going into their cores.

Dax nodded, holding out his core, "Airswitch, return!"

Airswitch didn't respond. He raised a brow, holding it out further.

"Airswitch, return!" he exclaimed. It should've worked since the cores hadn't completely gone gray. And yet...

"Somethings wrong! They're not going back!" Bren said, who was trying the same thing with Neo-Quickforce.

Chase grit his teeth in frustration. Even though they were just trying to help, all of his friends monsuno were now suffering because of his mistake! And with his own monsuno still out of his control, he couldn't even help them that way. There had to be some way to-

He paused, noticing the difference between the cores he held and the rest of their cores. None of their cores were responding, but they hadn't gone completely gray. His cores instantaneously turned gray as soon as Locke influenced them. But even with Locke so close, his friends' monsuno were still blue.

Quickly, Chase started to put things together in his head. If their monsuno were still resisting, then there was still a chance to get his own monsuno back under control. Still, it wouldn't matter until he got that core out of Ehna's hands. Because as long as he had that, their bonds wouldn't mean anything compared to the power that Locke held.

The brown-haired teen noticed him staring, and started to toss the core back and forth.

"You wanna try and get it back?" he scoffed, "Cause we both know how this is going to end if you try."

Chase's gaze hardened. Instead of charging forward like he had before, he decided to stand back.

"So what?" he started, "Now that you have the monsuno, are you going to take over the world? Or destroy S.T.O.R.M.? Or take revenge against my family? You might as well do it now!"

The brown-haired teen was gazing out towards the monsuno, slowly letting his eyes rest on the gray core.

"... You confuse me with your other enemies," he said, eyes narrowing when he looked up, "All they ever want is to use and abuse monsuno for their own benefit. No. What we plan to do is simple."

He watched the monsuno thrash about before turning to Chase with a dark smile.

"We're going to destroy them all!" he said, "And as soon as they're gone, nothing will stand in our way of destroying humans! Starting with all of you-"

The ground below suddenly lurched. Chase tried to get back up but stumbled as the quaking failed to cease. At first he thought it was the energy about to be released in another wave. But by the other teen's surprised look, that wasn't what was happening. The shaking was more powerful, and made Chase's head spin a few times.

The column of energy suddenly changed, and the two of them felt it. The overwhelming hum in the air that became lighter. The pressure all around was lifted like a sheet, and Chase instantly felt some relief.

And just like that, the green color shifted to blue, bursts from below causing the ground to crack. Ehna looked down in confusion, taking a few cautious steps back when light shot through the fissures.

"What is..." he muttered, "This is..."

A few short cries from the monsuno caught Chase's attention. He turned towards them, seeing how their original blue color started to overwhelm the gray. But for some reason his weren't changing. He looked down at their gray cores, wondering if it was because of Locke.

Ehna watched him briefly before turning towards the energy. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, "The shards must've been taken out... But how could-"

He stopped, then growled as he stepped back from some of the fissures running through the ground, "That little brat! He's still..."

One of the cracks on the opposite side got wider, a large blue figure clawing out. Chase looked up at the noise, letting out a gasp as he recognized it and who was riding it.

"Six!"

The clone ignored them all, instead steering the shark-like monsuno away from the fight with one hand as he held the small cloaked figure to his chest with the other. Ehna clicked his tongue, and turned to Locke, the gray core in his hand lighting up.

"Stop them! And get back the meteor fragments!"

Locke gave a roar towards the sky. It was swift to follow orders, running past the two teens and heading straight for the clone. Six saw, and the monsuno below him swiveled around to face the oncoming assault.

"Deepsix, Shock Sphere!"

The beast grunted before opening its jaws and released a blast of energy. The shots struck Locke head on, but it continued to surge forward. Six grit his teeth, and held up another core. Chase gasped, seeing the blue glow.

"Batteram, launch!"

The core struck, Chase's buffalo-like beast bursting forward and tackling into Locke. Caught off guard, Locke grappled the other, but Batteram was fierce, releasing a barrage of blasts towards the other monsuno. For good measure, Deepsix threw more shots of its own before turning and fleeing from the scene.

Ehna growled, his eyes flashing before he took off after. Chase's friends were calling to him, but he was distracted by the clone. How did Six get a hold of his monsuno? He thought they were left with Beyal...

What's more, they were completely blue, not even affected by the shadow effect!

"Get back here you worthless being!" Ehna shouted as he drew a blade from his back pocket and ran forward. Locke snapped out of its daze, following suit. Six looked back, and tightened his grip.

"Batteram, repeating fire!"

The monsuno turned around, blasting towards the approaching two. The shots fell short, hitting the ground between them. The light below intensified, the cracks growing larger until the ground gave away. Locke and Ehna slid to a quick stop at the sight of the chasm splitting them from their opponents. Six stared blankly at them, shook his head, and turned away.

"Guys look!" Dax shouted. The group looked up, seeing the energy that was swirling around them start to dissipate. There was still a decent amount shooting into the sky, but it was clearing up enough for them to see the clouds on the outside.

"What's going on?!" Jinja exclaimed. By default, they all turned to Beyal.

"... I think the energy is stopping," he said unsure, "It certainly doesn't feel as strong."

"Who cares? As long as we get out of here before something else bad happens, we can wonder about it later!" Dax said. Bren suddenly let out a gasp.

"The monsuno!" he exclaimed, then started to dig in his bag. He quickly stopped, remembering how he had lost the one thing that could help them in this situation.

"What about the monsuno?" Jinja asked.

"The uh. Monsuno in Tango right now," Bren said, pausing briefly in spite of the urgency. When he saw that they didn't think he was crazy, he continued, "The monsuno that's inside Tango right now. It's one of the Original Monsuno like the one from the desert a few months back. Remember?"

"Vaguely," Beyal said, scratching his head.

"Well. From the sound of it, one of them possessed Tango, and it said that it was looking over this seal and needs help," Bren said, looking to the sky.

Dax raised a brow when the other trailed off, "And? What does that mean for us? Should we get out of here?"

"It means we get Locke back!" Chase said, then ran to his monsuno. It and Ehna were still trying to get to Six, who was fleeing further and further away.

"Chase! Wait!"

A hand grabbed his arm, and Chase was being pulled backwards. He kept his gaze on the polar bear, trying to fight against the one pulling him. Another two hands grabbed him and he was dragged further away.

"No you guys! Let me go!"

"Chase! Calm down! That's not going to work!" Jinja argued. They all pulled him back until they were in a small dug out away from the wind and snow. He didn't care, he needed to something to get to Locke! Jinja took his shoulders forcing him to stay still.

"Didn't you just see? We can't use the cores," she sighed, lowering her hands and gently held Charger's core, "None of them will work..."

Both Bren and Beyal looked at their cores while Dax continued to look out in case the monsuno came close. At the moment, they were all cringing on the ground except for Nitestone and Babeon, who were panted heavily from the previous fight.

"We need to come up with something other then facing them head on-"

"Well? What you suggest we do?" Chase snapped at the red-haired girl, getting a surprised look, "I don't see you coming up with any suggestions! We can't just stand here waiting for them all to-"

A hand landed on his shoulder, he quickly turned to see Beyal giving him a serious look. Chase clenched his fists and turned away, wanting to kick and scream at each of them for pulling him away.

But he knew they were right.

If their cores wouldn't work, his definitely wouldn't. Not with his bond with Locke severed...

"Chase. Try your monsuno sight," Beyal said calmly, "Even if you can't reach Locke here, there's still a chance you can reach him that way." He looked to the rest of them, "I think that's how we can all reach the monsuno. If we reconnect through our bonds, there's a good chance we can call out to them since they're resisting this other force."

"B-But will it work?" Bren asked unsure, "I mean. It would for you, Chase, and Jinja because of the monsuno sight, but is it possible for me and Dax to do it?"

"At this point, I'm willing to try anything," Dax said, now picking up the rest of his cores from his bandolier. Those had gone completely gray, which meant they couldn't be relied on.

Chase frowned, looking to the ground, "No. I don't think it'll work. It might for you guys, but I felt mine and Locke's bond break the second that gray core hit. I don't think there's anything I can do at this point."

He slowly sank to the ground, exhaustion setting in.

"... I'm sorry guys," he muttered, staring at Locke's broken core, "If it weren't for me wanting to go to Axistown we wouldn't be in this situation..."

"Chase-"

"No," he held up a hand, "It's my fault. I already came to that conclusion a long time ago... I took a risk and everyone's paying for it. Especially Locke. I couldn't even protect him-"

"Chase."

He looked up, all of his friends staring at him with serious expressions. Jinja knelt next to him, a soft grin spreading on her lips.

"Chase. What you and Locke have. It's more then a bond," she said, "You have to believe that."

"Yeah. You two are like brothers," Dax said, then scratched the back of his neck and looked away, "And believe me. That is something that can't easily be broken, even if you tried."

"... Even I can still feel the bond with Quickforce," Bren muttered sheepishly, "Even though it's gone, I can still feel it through Neo-Quickforce."

Beyal knelt down next to Chase, cradling his hand that held Locke's core.

"You were destined to have Locke," he said, lightly tracing the small cracks, "And you were destined to fight together. This is just another battle you must over come."

He folded Chase's fingers around the core, giving him a smile.

Chase felt the knots in his chest loosen immensely. They were all right. Why was he even bothering to question this! Him and Locke had gone through so much... There was no way anyone could come between them! Klipse couldn't. Six couldn't. Not even the Hand of Destiny! He stood up and folded his arms, thinking intensely.

"I hear you guys," he said, "But even if I do managed to get through to him, how am I supposed to deal with that gray core? As long as that's around there's no way Locke will stay in control enough to break free from its hold."

"Well... Why not ask your dad? I'm sure he can figure something out," Bren asked. Chase blinked, remembering the piece of plastic in his ear. He pushed the button, eagerly awaiting for buzzing.

"Dad? Hello? Are you there?"

Static resounded, indicating that it was on. At first Chase thought that they wouldn't be able to get a signal. But by some miracle, the static dissipated into a familiar voice.

" _Chase? Is that you?"_

He let out a small laugh of relief, "Y-Yeah. It's me."

For some reason, it felt like forever since he heard his father's voice, even if it was barely audible with scratching static and the wind howling over. Chase peeked over the rocks, eyeing the battle still going on as Nitestone and Babeon started to attack everyone's monsuno again.

"Dad. Something happened to Locke. There's this gray core that's controlling him. And I don't think I'll be able to get to it."

That he knew for a fact. He had seen Ehna take down Backslash months ago when facing Klipse, and then proceeded to knock Six out with one hit. There was no way Chase could even stand a chance in a one on one fight...

" _What's wrong with Locke's core? Did something happen to it?"_

Chase looked down at the core. It wasn't fully broken, but it was clear that it wouldn't be able to function properly at the moment.

"I… I don't know," Chase said honestly, "But I need to get Locke away from that gray core. I don't know how it works, but the second it touched him, it turned Locke into energy and pulled him in. Is there some other way I can get to him without breaking that core? Anything that you can think of at all?"

It took a few minutes before Jeredy actually responded, and for a brief second, Chase thought he heard other voices on the other side. In the end, Jeredy was the one who spoke out to him.

 _"...I think I got it,"_ he said _,_ " _Chase. Use Locke's hyper mode!"_

 _"_ What?"

" _The hyper mode!"_ Jeredy shouted, his voice somewhat strained, _"Only the cores that I've modified can handle the monsuno's energy when they use it. Klipse tried giving Backslash a hyper mode and it backfired. If you can somehow get Locke to go into hyper mode, then there could be a chance that he will break free from that core."_

 _"_ Our monsuno haven't turned either," Dax said, looking down at Airswitch's core as it flashed blue and gray, "last time they tried chomping us under the shadow effect, it was instantaneous. Now they're actually fighting back."

"Can it be that simple?" Bren asked skeptically, "I mean. Our monsuno are definitely stronger, but would that really be what's keeping them from turning completely?"

"At this point, anything is worth a shot," Chase said resolutely, "Thanks dad."

 _"Chase hold on I-"_

The communicator was silenced with a small click. Chase stared ahead at Locke, watching as it continued to roar at the other monsuno around them. He knew that it was a long shot, but with no other options, he needed to at least try.

"For Locke," he muttered gripping the core tightly, he looked to the rest of them, "Try to distract Ehna and my monsuno until I get back. As soon as Locke is back to normal, Babeon and Nitestone should turn back."

At least he hoped they would.

Chase sat down, inhaling and exhaling slowly as he heard their footsteps trail away. He had yet to try and use his monsuno sight after the incident with Tesserah in Axistown, but it was now or never. Besides, that incident proved that he could call out to Locke no matter where he was. There was shifting next to him, and he saw Beyal kneel down near him.

"I'll go with you," he said. Chase grabbed his wrist and shook his head.

"No. Stay here," Chase said, "This is something between me and Locke. And, well, if something bad happens I wouldn't want you getting caught up in it. Again."

He stressed 'again', still feeling guilty about the last time they used the monsuno sight together. Beyal gave him a worried look, but nodded.

"Alright. But be careful," he said, and turned to run back to the fight. He stopped after a few steps, and quickly handed Chase his jacket back, "Thank you for letting me borrow this."

Chase's lips quirked a bit, suddenly remembering why his arms were so cold. He took it back, feeling the warmth of the fabric between his numb fingers. The monk flashed him another smile before turning his attention back to the fight between Glowblade and Nitestone.

There was a brief second where Chase looked down at his jacket, recalling how his father had given it to him right before he had disappeared and everything dealing with monsuno started. He shook the thoughts away, knowing now wasn't the time to get caught up in nostalgia. He slipped it over his shoulders, already feeling some tension leave his body.

With one last breath, he closed his eyes and let his mind fall back into darkness.

HLP

Jeredy had been furiously typing away on the portable laptop he had been toting along. He cursed at what it was showing. From the look of the energy he was monitoring, the levels kept spiking and would soon reach critical mass.

"Jeredy! How much longer do you have before we can get a diagnosis?" Jon shouted over the wind. He and two soldiers were firing away at five monsuno trying to get near them, barely keeping them at bay.

"Not much longer!" He said frantically. He looked over to Driftblade, who was fighting off another monsuno. He would need to call it back soon from the look of how exhausted it was.

Of course, he should've done that before the laptop started beeping loudly. He had two seconds to look down before a wave blew them all back a few feet. The monsuno suddenly ignored them all, instead looking towards the light.

Jeredy slid on the snow, coming to a stop and quickly looking up. He could see the monsuno they had been fighting now heading towards the energy. Driftblade, however, was hesitant, its color phasing away as it whimpered.

"Driftblade!" Jeredy shouted, getting to his feet and holding the core. He looked down, seeing the color drain away. What was going on?!

The lion monsuno roared, its color fully turning gray as it faced Jeredy. His stomach dropped.

Driftblade roared, and took off towards him. Jon saw, his attention drawn away from the retreating purple monsuno. Jeredy barely had time to stand as Driftblade pounced at him.

"JEREDY!"

Suddenly, the core in his hand vibrated rapidly. Jon's shouts were barely audible over the wind. Jeredy stumbled backwards with a gasp. The core flashing brightly as it started to burn his palm.

 _Footsteps approaching in the darkness. Prolonged silence finally interrupted by a sultry voice. A voice laced with unspoken hatred._

"... _Driftblade. You will be the key to my revenge."_

 _Her image became clear against the shadows of the room as she stepped closer._

 _The blonde woman tapped her cheek, smirk on her face. Even with the expression, loathing was evident in her eyes as she glared through the glass._

 _"If not against Jeredy Suno, then against the ones who created you. The ones that abandoned you in the care of S.T.O.R.M.."_

Snow tossed in the air as Driftblade landed in front of the scientist. Jon was shouting, but it was muted against the wind and ringing in Jeredy's ears.

" _That's the only reason I bothered giving you my DNA, not that I had much of a choice after our first encounter..." she stopped, eyes losing focus briefly before she shook her head, "If what Suno mentioned about blood is true, then that's the only way you'll be obedient to me. I can't afford anymore mistakes now zat we've finally caught wind of where he has been hiding since leaving."_

 _Her hand came close, brushing lightly against the glass barrier. She scoffed, turning on her heel._

 _"Hopefully you will be able to stand against his son once we corner him in Tebab. Reports show that ze little brat also has a monsuno. One that maybe be even more powerful."_

 _She cast one glance back over her shoulder. Watching in silence._

 _"... Maybe if you decide to behave zis time and get rid of Jeredy. I won't eradicate you with the rest of the monsuno we detain. Maybe. If not, I'll be glad to see you finally destroyed."_

Driftblade was staring down at the scientist, who hadn't realized he had fallen and was now sprawled out on the snow. The core was still burning hot in his hand, but with how fast the stream of memories flashed he could barely feel it.

The monsuno's gaze was unreadable, anger distorting its features as it gazed down at the scientist. It let out a roar, making Jeredy's ears ring.

He was paralyzed with fear, staring up at the monsuno while it bared its long fangs.

"D-Driftblade," he stuttered, "I..."

He was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to do? He didn't have any more monsuno with him! And the feelings of fear and anger towards Charlemagne were still making his head spin.

Just as Driftblade let out a ragged breath, something white came barreling into it. The scientist laid there, both stunned and surprised. He turned his head towards the snarl he heard, and saw some sort of white mountain lion-like monsuno now facing off against Driftblade.

"Jeredy!"

He flinched at the voice, looking behind him as Jon crouched next to him, "Are you alright?"

The scientist didn't respond, looking back to the two monsuno. He could see Driftblade still hesitating as its color flash and fade. He knew it was fighting to stay in control, but it's feelings were distorting.

Eventually, it charged forward again. It stopped by the other monsuno, and was tackled quickly to the ground.

"Doctor, something is happening," Jon said, shaking his shoulder, "We need to get you to safety-Jeredy?"

He was still silent, carefully watching the white monsuno. He remembered seeing something like it months ago. Not this one, but a white one nonetheless. This must've been one of the monsuno that Chase and his friends had encountered before. Jon noticed the laptop nearby and slammed it shut.

"Jeredy! Something is happening with the monsuno! We need to go!" Jon exclaimed, dragging Jeredy to his feet and scooping up the suitcase. He stumbled as the other man tugged him along. Eventually, he pulled his gaze from the monsuno to look ahead. What he saw made him gasp.

He knew that there were white monsuno out there, but he couldn't imagine that _this_ was what they looked like.

There were two there, standing by the group of Strike Squad members. One was an enormous dragon, and the other was the jackal that had attacked Jeredy on the train before. It was strange seeing the latter here, since there was certainly something different about it. At first he thought Jon was crazy to be pulling them towards them, but he quickly realized that they were actually holding back the Strike Squad's monsuno, which were now writhing on the ground as their yellow glow started to reappear.

"Commandant!" a girl with pigtails said. The other seven standing there turned to Jon and Jeredy, most of them going into a salute. Jeredy's eyes widened. Besides Alpha and X-Ray, he had never seen any of them before. But if they were wearing Strike Squad uniforms, then they had to be a part of S.T.O.R.M..

"Lux's monsuno turned back to normal!" the girl continued as she ran up to Jon, not bothering to pay any attention to Jeredy, "Ours haven't-but his did!"

"Really?" Jon asked, eyeing the yellow monsuno wearily. It was standing close by the orange-haired teen as he grinned widely. Jeredy went over to it, checking the monsuno's eyes and for any other signs of control. For good measure, he held his hand out to the teen, who gladly handed the core over. He checked for cracks and functionality, both in perfect order.

"I can't believe it, but got my monsuno to respond!" Lux said enthusiastically, "I don't know how, but I did it! All thanks to the connection we have!"

Jeredy looked up at the monsuno, then towards the white monsuno hovering over them. There was something comforting about it, though he wasn't sure what it was. But when he gazed about, he could see the other monsuno must've also been feeling it. None of them were attacking, and were now calming down. He could even see the color slowly coming back.

"Actually. I think it's these monsuno that showed up," Jeredy said, looking up the sky. As if in response, the dragon let out a soft whistling noise. It soared over them, it's serpent body twisting around as it repelled Moto's monsuno, "Their influence must be able to overwhelm the effects of this energy tornado."

Lux's cheeks got a bit red when Jeredy handed back the core, "O-Oh. I knew that…"

"What now doctor?" Jon asked, taking a few steps. He was breathing a bit heavily, and Jeredy noticed that he was rather exhausted.

"First thing you're going to do is sit and rest," he said, "You won't be able to do much help if you pass out."

"I'm fine," Jon said, "I'll be able to handle things... Alpha, what's the status of the rest of your squad?"

Alpha, who was standing there silently, looked to the commandant with a sullen look. He shifted where he stood a few times before taking a few steps to the rest of them.

"... They're all injured," he said, barely audible over the wind, "Tango's in critical condition... Kilo and Bravo sustained serious injuries but not life-threatening... X-Ray and I are the only ones left."

It looked like Alpha wanted to say more, but all that came out was a stifled noise as he turned away. He took a few breaths before continuing, "The commander said to use our monsuno to hold back the energy. Strike Squad II's monsuno were all affected so they used Team Core Tech's monsuno. And then those white monsuno appeared..."

Jon nodded, looking over the group.

"Everyone," he said, "You all will need to try and get a hold of your monsuno. For now, command Team Core Tech's monsuno to hold back the energy! We still need to get that under control regardless!"

The group all nodded, then pulled out each of their cores. Jeredy looked up to see Jinja and Bren's monsuno were the ones that were borrowed. He wondered where they were at before Jon suddenly let out a pained groan. He fell to one knee.

"Commandant!" Alpha exclaimed, running to his side with two others.

A beeping went off in his ear and he jumped. Blinking, Jeredy realized it was the communicator in his ear. He pressed the button, waiting for a response.

 _"Dad? Hello? Are you there?"_

He took a sharp breath, nearly forgetting to breath.

"Chase? Is that you?"

All eyes turned to him, but ignored that try and listen for his son's voice. Static resounded until it turned into a clear voice.

 _"Dad. Something happened to Locke. There's this gray core that's controlling him. And I don't think I'll be able to get to it."_

"What's wrong with Locke's core? Did something happen to it?" Jeredy asked, anxiety starting to take hold. Even if Chase was alright right now, the fact that he lost Locke was starting to make him panic.

 _"I… I don't know. But I need to get Locke away from that gray core. I don't know how it works, but the second it touched him, it turned Locke into energy and pulled him in. Is there some other way I can get to him without breaking that core? Anything that you can think of at all?"_

Jeredy was silent. A gray core? The only gray cores he knew of were those that didn't have monsuno energy inside them and the shapeshifter cores before they hit another with monsuno inside. But if this one literally sucked Locke's energy inside, then they would need to find a way to break the core.

The scientist wanted to ask who it was that had it, but if it was someone like Klipse, then Chase wouldn't be able to physically get it back.

The sudden thought of Klipse gave him an idea though.

"...I think I got it. Chase. Use Locke's hyper mode!"

 _"What?"_ Chase's voice was getting further away. Their connection must've been getting weaker.

"The hyper mode!" Jeredy shouted, "Only the cores that I've modified can handle the monsuno's energy when they use it. Klipse tried giving Backslash a hyper mode and it backfired. If you can somehow get Locke to go into hyper mode, then there could be a chance that he will break free from that core."

At least that's what he hoped would happen.

He heard a few other voices, one he recognized as Bren.

 _"At this point, anything is worth a shot,"_ he heard Chase say, _"Thanks dad."_

"Chase hold on I-"

The communicator clicked, and the line went dead. Jeredy cursed to himself. Why couldn't his son just hold on for a moment more?

"Look! The energy is starting to fade!"

He looked up, seeing the tornado starting to slow somewhat. Towards the top, he could faintly see some of the energy giving away. He pulled the suitcase from Jon and opened it up. He raised a brow. The energy levels were still rising.

"It's still building up!" he shouted, "I don't know why, but it's still not giving away!"

Some of the teens looked to the sky with worry, while the rest of them turned to Jon for orders. It was clear that being in his Toxic mode strained the commandant. Jeredy wanted him to take one of the antidotes he carried, but knew it would knock the man out flat. And the remaining troops couldn't afford to be on their own right now.

"Then we won't either!" Alpha shouted, then looked to the rest of them, "We need to keep pushing! Chase and the others are fighting right now! So we need to do the same!"

He took a hold of Tripwire's core, looking to the wolf-like monsuno.

"Plasma Shine!"

It grunted and charged to the tornado. It hit head on, letting out a strained sound as it tried to push forward. It roared out, sinking into the snow as it continued on.

The strike squad looked back and forth, holding onto their cores and Team Core Tech's. They all turned towards the pillar of light.

"Unstoppable Fang Strike!"

"Charged Strike!"

"Energy Ram!"

"Conduit Claw!"

Team Core Tech's monsuno all followed Tripwire, charging towards the energy. As soon as they got closer, however, all of Moto's monsuno started to swarm around them. Longfang and Whipper were attacked from the left, Skyfall flew up to avoid being shot at, and Shellshot took a hit head on to counter the blasts with its own.

"Blockade! They need help!" X-Ray shouted, "You guys! I think we need to regroup!"

"I have to agree," Jon huffed out, still kneeling on the ground as X-Ray and a girl with glasses stood by him, "We need to find Commander Trey and meet with the remaining soldiers."

Alpha instantly froze. Jeredy could see his shoulders starting to shake. But then he stopped, and looked to the commandant with a dead serious stare.

"No. We can't stop here!" the red-haired teen said, "We… The commander won't be able to help us. We need to keep going!"

He didn't say anything else, instead turning attention back to the fight, "Keep going Tripwire!"

"Sprite light, Prism Sword!" Lux shouted. Spritelight glowed briefly as a shower of crystals rained down at the purple beasts. Most hit, bursting into sparks, but most had dodged and started to dive towards the teens.

"Jeredy."

The scientist turned to Jon, who was panting heavily from where he sat.

"These kids won't be able to hold it back on their own. Get a hold of Trey. We need reinforcements," he said.

"I'm afraid he can't be much help, commandant," X-Ray said slowly, eyes falling to the ground. Tears started to build in them, but he quickly wiped it away, "He's… He's gone."

Silence stretched across the field. The other teens looked to him in shock. Jon stared, giving the teen an up down look as if he had just said something backwards and unintelligible. He didn't realize it, but Jeredy was holding his breath.

Jon was the first one to say something.

"… What?"

"Commander Trey," the girl with brown-hair and glasses murmured, "I tried my best-I really did!… But I-I- I couldn't…"

"C-Commander Trey is dead!" X-Ray exclaimed, finally breaking down. The rest were all still silent, unable to say anything. Eventually, it was the girl with pigtails who said something.

"W-What do we do now?" she stuttered, "we still need to- we can't just- how do we-"

"Itzel calm down," the one with a mask said, approaching the girl with the other dark-skinned teen.

"The-how are we going to- our monsuno are-"

Lux suddenly let out a strangled noise, falling to his knees. His eyes we're shadowed as he stared down at the ground. The short blonde went to his side instantly, wincing from their arm wound.

"Lucian," Lux said almost silently, "We should've done something... We needed to- why couldn't we-"

The orange haired teen's fists clenched into the snow, "we can't even save our own monsuno right now... We couldn't even get here in time to help at all... We didn't change anything..."

"I-I-I couldn't do anything to help him!" Rose moaned, "I tried my best I r-really did! There just wasn't enough time-"

Tears pooled down her face as she started to sniffle. Jon put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes falling to the ground in disbelief. The rest of them were either in shock or getting hysterical. The two still looking over Itzel were trying their best to get her calm down while Lucian was silently kneeling next to Lux, who was saying something inaudible over the wind. Jeredy stood there, still unable to process what X-Ray had announced.

He hadn't seen eye to eye with the Commander in many things. But he was still... He wanted to...

And these kids. They didn't deserve to see this type of thing. None of them. Not the Strike Squad. Not Team Core Tech. Not even Chase-

"Everyone CALM DOWN!" Alpha roared. They all froze, watching as he panted a few times, his eyes narrowed. Jeredy hadn't even noticed he was caught up in his own thoughts.

"This doesn't change anything!" Alpha said sternly, "We need to keep going! We can't stop here!"

He stood up a bit straighter, gaze briefly landing on Lux before he glanced to the rest of them, "We can't stop. Not until the mission is complete!"

As if in response, the Strike Squad's monsuno all slowly rose from the ground. Their color was back, and burning brighter then ever. The white dragon let out another whistling noise before it took off towards Moto's monsuno. It swung widely at them all, launching them backwards and away from Team Core Tech's monsuno with one blow.

The yellow monsuno all let out small sounds of their own. Not growls or whines, but more like soft calls. Alpha looked down at the core in his hand, one that he had yet to spin out. Jeredy let out a small gasp, recognizing it.

"Doctor Suno," he said, looking to the man with a unreadable expression, "… Thank you."

He turned to Tripwire, gripping it and the other core tightly.

"Astrapi, LAUNCH!"

The blue and yellow core spun a few times before it hit the snow bank. Sparks flew and crackled as a large wolf like monsuno appeared. It was similar to Tripwire, almost identical from first glance. But anyone could see that they were quite different. Mostly the dark fur that had a slight red tint to it.

"Inner Shine!" Alpha shouted. It let out a hiss before letting out bursts of light towards the purple monsuno flying overhead. As soon as it struck, the monsuno turned and ran towards Tripwire.

One of the monsuno managed to dodge, setting its sights on Jeredy, Jon, and Rose who were standing back. The two of them saw, unable to react as it charged towards them.

"Doctor Suno! Commandant Marshall Jon! Rose!"

He didn't know who was shouting as they both fell backwards in surprise, but Jeredy knew there was no time to react. He clenched his shut, falling backwards in the snow.

"Vertigo, launch!"

A core spun out in front of them, clashing into the purple beast before it could get close. Jeredy let out a gasp, seeing blue sparks. That was a Core Tech core! Stunned, he turned to see the girl, Rose, standing there with it in hand. She walked forward, a new found confidence in her eyes

"If everyone is fighting, so will we!" She said, "Vertigo, dizzying daggers!"

The twin-headed beast grunted, continuing to hold back any monsuno that came too close with two extended claws.

Jeredy was relieved. Not just by the appearance of the other blue monsuno, but also because he knew that was what they needed right now.

They all needed their bonds with their monsuno.

And now that they had their monsuno back, there was nothing holding the Strike Squad back from helping Tripwire. Lux took a step forward, the others following behind him as their cores grew bright yellow.

"Azure Edge!"

"Cerberus Strike!"

"Dhaos Collider!"

"Flare Blitz!"

"Primal Embrace!"

Jeredy stood there, watching in both shock and awe as the monsuno all surged towards the energy. And as the laptop started beeping, he didn't need to look at it to know that they were somehow holding it back.

HLP

As soon as Chase decided his next course of action, the rest of them knew what they needed to do. And the first thing was to get back their monsuno.

They all ran out from the dug out, making sure that Chase was out of sight. When they were sure that he was, they turned their attention to the monsuno.

"Are you guys getting any reaction?" Jinja asked, looking as the gauge continued to phase in and out.

"Afraid not princess," Dax said, letting out a curse when he looked at the rest of his cores. They had yet to give him anything to work with, though he was hoping for at least some sign from them. Jinja turned to the other two

"What about you guys? Bren? Beyal-"

She stopped, spotting the monk standing near the cliffs that Glowblade had been fighting at. Nitestone was still trying to fight the snake-like beast while it thrashed about, though they both looked exhausted by this point. Beyal was staring intensely at his monsuno. Briefly, he gazed down at the graying core before clasping it in both hands and closing his eyes.

Jinja watched, both anxious and concerned. Bren followed her line of sight, cautious of the monsuno still fighting as Beyal sat down.

"Oi. Monkfish. I know meditating is your thing, but maybe you ought to save it for afterwards!" Dax said as they all went over. The monk ignored them, simply sitting completely still as the core in his hands continued to blaze away.

"Or you could- I don't know- do that somewhere not in the middle of the fight!" Bren said shrilly.

Jinja suddenly let out a small gasp.

"We need to all try it!" she said, getting confused looks from the other two.

"What?"

"Our bond! With our monsuno," she said, then looked down at Charger's core, "It's weird. But It feels like the bonds with monsuno are changing. At least that's how it's been for me."

She glanced back to Charger, remembering what Jeredy had told her earlier that week after they went to the Hand of Destiny's old hideout. And from where they stood, she could see that Beyal was definitely reaching to Glowblade. Both Bren and Dax were silent, gazing down at their cores for a moment..

"The least we can do is try before Ehna spots us," she said. He had been distracted by the appearance of Six, and had vanished from sight. Locke, on the other hand, was still lurking about as their monsuno still tried to resist.

"Really hope this works," Dax muttered, taking a firm grip on his core and closed eyes. Bren gave Jinja a look before they followed suit.

The three of them stood there, ignoring the chill of the snow and the wind. For a moment, they all thought of Chase, and how they needed to help him. But it was no use unless they had their monsuno by their sides.

It was like digging away towards the back of the mind. Past memories and thoughts, only focusing on one thing. It was difficult, sorting through it all, especially after everything that had happened in the past few days. And even as they searched, something was blocking the way. But still they pushed on.

They had no choice. Not with everyone depending on them.

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	44. Chapter 44

A/N: Thanks to Kathywood67, ChasexJinjaForever, and monsuno power for the reviews. Last chapter coming up soon. Might split it up into two chapter though depending on how long it is. But considering how long this chapter is, it'll still probably be one.

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Being so close meant they were all able to feel each other's presence. But it also meant that they were able to feel everything. Maybe it was because of all the monsuno energy around them, or maybe it was because of their bonds with their monsuno. Either way, the support was comforting._

 _Despite that, each of them were only able to focus on their own bonds, only using each other as another source of strength._

 _The first one who managed to even reach out to one of the monsuno was Beyal._

 _It was easy for him to sort through mindless thoughts and old memories for the one thing that he needed the most right now. But it was difficult, more so then he thought. As if something was pulling and pushing him back all at once. He could also sense someone else for some reason. Their presence was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. It wasn't the other three either. Still, he ignored it, focusing more on his connection to Glowblade. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he knew that he had no choice._

 _And it was the same for all of them._

 _They each knew that if they even had a remote chance of surviving, of saving the world, of seeing everything that they loved in the world, they needed to succeed!_

 _But it was more difficult for the others, their trains of thought bringing up other stronger feelings and memories._

 _Bren could see Tango's gentle smile just before she blew him a kiss after the mission at Mechanopolis. He wanted to stay like that, simply standing and watching her as she turned away with a grace that was her own. But he also knew that if he didn't reach out to Neo-Quickforce, he would never see it or her ever again. So, for the moment, he ignored his memories to focus on getting through to his monsuno._

 _Dax could see Spike when they were still kids with not a care in the world. Being as solitary as he was after leaving the orphanage, reminiscing through memories was the only thing that he really held onto. He felt regret, knowing that Spike blamed him for everything that went wrong, not just between them but with everything bad that happened after. It was those feelings that made him fight on. He couldn't stop here! Not with Spike needing him now more then ever!_

 _Jinja could see them all standing together, victorious. After the battle is finished, after everything is done. All of them being able to stand together without worrying about their monsuno or S.T.O.R.M., or any of their enemies showing up. Just being able to be free..._

 _But none of them could have that peace that they desired. Not as long as their monsuno were in danger!_

 _And so they pushed back against it all! Memories! Feelings! Everything that dragged them back to reach for the untapped power of their monsuno!_

Their cores grew brighter, burning hot in each of their hands. When they finally opened their eyes, they could see their monsuno all standing back up. Their color now flashing blue.

"I-It worked!" Bren said breathlessly. Beyal immediately went up to Glowblade as it bowed its head down next to him.

"It's a good thing too," Dax said, "looks like Chase's monsuno are coming back for a second round!"

They all turned towards the snarls, seeing Babeon and Nitestone standing there. They both howled, surging forward.

"Charger! Stop them in their tracks!" Jinja called out. Charger took two steps as it collided with the two. Airswitch soared above, letting down a barrage of blasts. She looked over her shoulder, hair lightly tossing in the wind, "Where's Locke at?"

"Over there!" Bren shouted, pointing to the right. The other three turned around to see the polar bear like monsuno hunched over. Standing just a few feet away was Ehna, staring at the beast. Bren looked to Beyal, who nodded.

"Neo-Quickforce, Ring Cannon!"

"Glowblade, Streaking Blades!"

Their blasts soared over to Locke. It roared, jumping forward as its shield went up. Before either of them could react, Locke opened its jaws as a beam burst out, hitting Neo-Quickforce and Glowblade. Immediately, they were pelted with more blasts.

"We need help here," Bren exclaimed.

"Yeah so do we," Dax responded, "Airswitch, swipe down!"

His monsuno let out a shrill noise, diving at Nitestone. They collided in a heap, but Nitestone got back up faster. It snarled as its claws lit up.

"Bren," Beyal said, "Let's focus on Babeon and Nitestone for now."

At first the teen was confused, but then looked to where the monk was staring. Locke immediately went back over to Ehna, ignoring them. Bren raised a brow.

"Why did it..."

"Chase is reaching out to Locke right now," Beyal said, "I have a feeling something is going on between all three of them."

His gaze narrowed at the gray core, watching it shine. But he was also watching at the one holding it. Ehna was still staring at Locke, gaze falling to the gray core.

"In that case, let's focus on getting these two back into their cores!" Jinja said, "We have to have faith in Chase. He can do it! Charger, Bashing Siege!"

HLP

 _It was much quicker to use his monsuno sight. Now that there wasn't a shadow lingering in the back of his mind, Chase found that it only took mere seconds to fall back into trying to connect to his monsuno. He looked around, seeing how he was in a field similar to the one he was standing in moments ago. That didn't alarm him though._

 _"Locke?" Chase called out, trying to find a sign of his monsuno. There wasn't wind anymore, but he could still feel the cold chill in the air. It was dark, as if the energy wasn't there at all, with the sky blocked out by dense shadows._

 _"Locke? Are you here?"_

 _Suddenly, there was a faint blue light, and he was surprised to see that it was hovering close by. He walked right up to it without any hesitation, watching the small ball hover far above. He tried reaching towards it, but couldn't get close. He jumped a few times, still failing._

 _But even from this distance he could tell that it was a monsuno. Just not Locke._

 _"Babeon," he muttered, guessing that this was its essence. He wondered what would happen if he actually managed to get a hold of it. Would it try and fight the shadow effect? Or would he have to leave before something happened? If that were the case, he would need to find his connection to Locke before that._

 _Chase looked around, seeing another light nearby. He could see it clearly, knowing his bond was the thing guiding him in this dark place. He followed it, coming close enough to know that it was Nitestone._

 _But again, no Locke._

 _"Ugh! C'mon!" he said, taking a few steps forward and looking around, "I know you're here Locke! You need to give me a sign! Please!"_

 _Nothing. Not that he was expecting it to be easy. He let out a sigh, preparing himself for the long search._

 _The problem was, there was nothing to search through. The clearing was empty. Void of the life and battles that just took place. Where could Locke be?_

 _Chase bit his lip, still walking forward towards the cliffs that went back up to the plains. He started climbing, hoping that there was at least something else above in the snow fields._

 _"I'm surprised... No one's... Here," he huffed to himself as he dug his fingers into the rocks as he pulled up. He was cautious with his footing, feeling his boots slip every so often on the ice. The last thing he needed was to fall thirty feet back down when he had only ten more to go._

 _"I thought... Mom would... Be here... At least..."_

 _Not that he wanted that. She was probably back at the cloud carrier, still recovering from being held here. He hated that, especially knowing that it was because of him. He shook his head, focusing more on his next move after this. Best case scenario: he finds Locke and gets back without feeling like a thousand bricks were weighing his body down or his mind dazed. He didn't even want to think about the worst case..._

 _He reached up, feeling snow between his fingers. He looked up, realizing he got to the top. With one last heave, he got his arms up._

 _But his grip loosened as soon as he saw a small figure standing there watching him._

 _"AGH!"_

 _He slipped, nearly falling back down if it weren't for their small hands grabbing his own. His gaze fell back down at the jolt, getting a dizzying sense as he looked down._

 _"... Hurry up! Pull yourself up!" the other said. Chase blinked, seeing them struggling with his weight. He swung his feet around until solid ground was below. He steadied himself, managing to crawl back up to the field breathlessly. He stayed on his hands and knees for a moment, taking a few breaths._

 _"Too close for comfort," he mumbled, then looked to his savior. He blinked a few times, seeing a child half his size with short dark hair that hung just above her shoulders and large amber eyes that were almost red in color._

 _"Who are..." he questioned, brows furrowing in confusion. He remembered seeing her from somewhere, but for some reason couldn't quite place where. She frowned, her eyes drooping somewhat._

 _"I'm... Um..." she stuttered out, shuffling her feet, "I um... Forgot... Are you looking for something? Cause I think I can help you."_

 _He stood up, easily towering over her, "Uh. Sure. I guess. Have you seen a small blue ball of light around here? You could probably hold it in your hands."_

 _She kept her gaze down, hands at her sides in small fists as they clenched her black jumper. Slowly, she nodded. Without a word, she turned around and started walking away. Chase hesitated, but knew he'd have to start somewhere. They slowly walked away from the clearing, Chase looking all around._

 _"So... You don't know your name?" he asked, wondering who she was and why she was even there. He stayed alert, hopefully expecting to see Master Ey or someone else familiar. The girl kept her trembling lips pursed, eyes staring ahead. He frowned, but decided to continue speaking to kill the silence, "Well... My name is Chase. Chase Suno."_

 _She whimpered, stopping._

 _"Is something wrong?" he asked, seeing her shoulders starting to quiver._

 _"... You have to stop us," she muttered, then looked up to him, "Please. You have to."_

 _Chase raised a brow, "Stop who? Why- what's going on?"_

 _Before she could answer, a presence wafted over the area from behind him. He gasped, turning around quickly. He was both surprised and relieved to see an orb of blue light that was slightly larger, and even brighter then the last ones. He knew it was Locke._

 _Unfortunately, it was in the hands of someone else. An old man who was looking at Chase with a darkened look with piercing green eyes. Once brown hair that was turning gray as his frame hunched over from age._

 _Stepping back, Chase blinked before letting out a gasp, "You're the one from Axistown! The one who appeared after we defeated Tesserah!"_

 _The old man didn't say anything, simply watching Chase with a calculated gaze as the girl flinched back from both of them. The raven-haired teen looked at the orb of light with great uneasiness. Taking a steady breath, he tore his eyes away to look to the man._

 ** _"So glad to see you were able to keep a piece of yourself here,"_** _the old man said to the girl, "_ ** _And you were able to bring me Chase once again. I suppose I won't have to erase you from existence now."_**

 _Chase raised a brow, confused by both the appearance of the old man and by what he was saying. The old man saw his expression, flashing him a toothy grin._

 _"Who are you? Why are you here?" Chase asked, hoping that the other would be generous enough to offer some insight. The old man sighed, taking a step to the side and making the girl shudder._

 ** _"Just someone who's been waited a long time for revenge,"_** _he said staring down at the ground,_ ** _"A little too long if you ask me..."_**

 _Chase raised a brow, "We don't know each other. I've never seen you before."_

 _The man stared at the other, his eyes dull with a weariness._

 ** _"We have. I've been following your progress for a long time. But it's really the lynchpin that I was after,"_** _he said,_ ** _"My goal has always been to disassemble the great Jeredy Suno's work of monsuno and rid the world of them. Those infernal beasts are the things that caused everything to be thrown into chaos. And the one thing that started it all was the discovery of Locke."_**

 _Chase kept looking up and down, eager for the chance to get to Locke. He edged a little closer with small steps. The girl was looking back and forth between them, obviously wanting to flee._

 _"So you're after my dad and his work?" Chase pressed on, still awaiting for his chance. The old man sighed._

 ** _"Not quite. But he was the one of the last things to help the Hand of Destiny with their research. And brought about our suffering."_**

 _"Our?"_

 _The old man took a few steps closer, surprising Chase a little. When he saw the look in his eyes, Chase felt the need to back away._

 _"_ ** _I'm surprised that you haven't recognized me yet, Suno. Or even her,"_** _he said, voice loud and commanding despite his demeanor, flashing a brief look at the girl before staring Chase down, "_ ** _Although I guess it makes sense considering how I can't alter my appearance in this place. Or that she no longer looks like your mother Sophia."_**

 _"Alter your-" Chase started, then gasped. He quickly looked to the girl, who had the same look of panic as her eyes widened. He looked back to the old man, recognizing his features before just moments ago when staring him down with that gray core._

 _"Ehna?!" he breathed, "But... How? Why do you look like that?"_

The other chuckled again, " ** _Is it so hard to believe that the Hand of Destiny's research took years to perfect? Their experimentation started when I was older and had become useless to them. When it was a success, the procedure allowed me to change my appearance back to more youthful days in a similar way that they did when they met that man Droog."_**

 _Chase gulped, backing up as he looked at the pair. He was suddenly feeling unsure about the plan._

 _"How do you even know Droog?" Chase asked, trying frantically to put something together in his head, "And... How do you know about what he and the Hand of Destiny were doing? Where did you even go?"_

 ** _"We've been lurking in the shadows ever since our defeat in the desert. I knew that if we tried going back to the Hand afterwards, we would be disposed of. So I decided to stay as far away from them as possible,"_** _Ehna stopped, letting out a chuckle, "_ ** _It also helped that they were so preoccupied with you that they thought we were already dead."_**

 _He stopped, bringing Locke's energy up for Chase to look at. The teen swallowed, feeling the monsuno's energy pulling him forward a little. But he stayed rooted in his spot, knowing that it was their bond trying to reach him. At least that was still somewhat in tact._

 ** _"As for that guy Droog. He showed up on his own accord trying to recruit us. After we rejected his offer, he left behind something that helped our own plans come to fruition. We wouldn't have been able to release the energy if it weren't for his strange technology. Something that went against nature itself!"_**

 _Ehna gripping the energy tightly in his hand. Chase gasped, feeling something clench inside his chest. His hands flew to his throat, suddenly finding it hard to breathe._

 ** _"Your father is no different,"_** _Ehna said bitterly, watching as Chase fell to his knees,_ ** _"He went and created weapons of destruction. He gladly sold his soul away to S.T.O.R.M. to pursue monsuno. Eagerly worked with someone like Klipse to create new life. And he succeeded."_**

 _Chase grit his teeth, looking up spitefully. The old man stopped, watching as Chase took a ragged breath before coughing._

 ** _"We all suffered for his success. Even you suffered,"_** _he said, walking towards Chase. No doubt that he was shorter then the teen here. But with how much pain was rising in his chest, Chase knew that he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon._

 ** _"Monsuno bring nothing but pain!"_** _Ehna snapped, only a few feet away,_ ** _"They're miserable creatures that need to be-"_**

 _"S-Stop!"_

 _A small pair of footsteps ran in front of him. Blinking through the spots in his vision, Chase could see the girl now standing between him and Ehna with raised arms._

 _"_ ** _What do you want Tesserah? Or are you really wanting to try and protect him?_** _" Ehna scoffed, "_ ** _Please. You're probably just still feeling Sophia's desire for her family. Step aside."_**

 _He took a step forward again, but she didn't move. She was shaking, but she stayed rooted. The old man sneered down at her._

 ** _"I won't warn you again. Step. Aside."_**

 _She was whimpering, and frantically shook her head._

 _"N-No," she stuttered, "Petros and the others are finally gone... We don't have to follow through with their plans... We can move on-w-we can-AH!"_

 _She let out a scream as she was blown away by a sweep of his arm. She rolled a few times, lying face down as she came to a stop._

 _"H-Hey!" Chase said hoarsely, then looked up in contempt. Ehna watched him, smirk on his lips._

 ** _"You really wanting to try and defend her of all people? Especially when you can't even stand?"_** _he said, rolling his eyes,_ ** _"You really do have a lot of fight. But I doubt it'll get you anywhere for much longer."_**

 _He stepped up to Chase, grabbing a hold of his shirt and hauling him back up with unnatural strength. Chase growled, trying to reach for Locke but failing as Ehna dangled it far out of reach._

 ** _"Thought you could outwit us with using your monsuno sight didn't you?"_** _he said with a smirk,_ ** _"Sorry to say, but that was an option that was already off the table for you!"_**

 _With that, he threw Chase back, body practically skipping across the snow painfully. The teen couldn't do anything but let out gasps, eventually collapsing in a heap as he came to a stop._

 _He grit his teeth, forcing himself back up. He couldn't be beaten here! This was where his connection to his monsuno was at its strongest! And Locke was practically in front of him! He just needed to wait for an opening and charge in to take it back._

 _As soon as he stood up, he ran forward with a shout._

 _"Locke!"_

 _The old man let out a sigh, bringing his empty hand up. A wave of shadows suddenly surged towards Chase. He gasped, sliding on his heels as they got close._

 _Something dove into his side, effectively pushing him out of the way. He landed roughly in the snow, quick to try and shake the stars that were dancing in his vision away. When they finally did, he looked up to see Ehna looking at him in confusion. But Chase was quick to realize that he wasn't looking at him. The weight on top of him shifted, and the girl from before stood up immediately._

 _"..._ ** _You really think you can protect him don't you?"_** _Ehna scoffed, "_ ** _I guess we can't really fight what we were made for huh?"_**

 _The old man flicked his wrist, a swarm of shadows now heading straight towards her. As soon as they came close, she vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing a few feet away._

 _Ehna laughed again, more shadows now surging towards Chase. She gasped, charging in front of him and held her hands up against the incoming attack. They didn't stop, but neither did she. She let out a small groan as she pushed back against the attack with her own feeble shadows._

 _Chase got up to his knees, surprised to see her defending him. Wasn't she supposed to be working with the Hand of Destiny? Or did something change when he and his mom faced her? She let out a gasp, sliding back somewhat._

 _"Get out of here Chase!" she exclaimed, letting out a pained yelp when a shadow whipped her shoulder, "You need to leave!"_

 _He sat there, watching as Ehna sneered at the girl and made the shadows increase. She gasped, sliding into the snow even more as she tried to hold it back._

 _"Leave! I can't hold him back for much longer! If he destroys you here, you won't be able to ever wake up!"_

 _She_ was _different. Chase remembered what Ehna had said about her, and guessed that if it was true, then maybe he had a fighting chance. He looked defiantly at the old man, also remembering what he said about his father and monsuno._

 _He refused to believe that everything that happened with monsuno caused nothing but suffering. His father... He created something unbelievable. Locke was a testament to that!_

 _He tried to get up, feeling tired for some reason. She looked over her shoulder, giving him an anguished look._

 _"You can't beat him here," she muttered, "I know that for a fact... You have to run! Please!"_

 _"_ ** _Yes Chase! Run away!"_** _Ehna shouted, "_ ** _Just lean back and watch as your greatest monsuno tears the world apart!"_**

 _He grit his teeth. He couldn't stop! He refused!_

 _"No!" he shouted even more, "I will reach out to Locke! I don't care what happens to me!"_

 _Suddenly, Locke's energy started to burn brightly. Ehna winced, holding the orb away somewhat as it flashed and filled the area with light. Chase gasped, feeling his connection resonating even stronger. It was just like last time when he called out to it when his mom was in trouble. He stood up, feeling newfound strength._

 _Without even caring, he saw an opening in the attack and ran forward towards the old man._

 _Shadows flared up all around him, and he felt himself slowing down somewhat. But he knew it was fear holding him back. The fear that he wouldn't be able to get to his monsuno, and the fear that he will fail. But he couldn't think like that. He needed to go faster!_

 _He needed to get back his best friend!_

 _One shadow sliced at his outstretched arm, another hitting his thigh. He winced, gritting his teeth and surging forward as fast as he could._

 _"LOCKE!"_

 _As soon as he got close, Locke grew blindingly bright. From the corner of his vision, he saw Ehna shrink away. With one last push, Chase threw his whole body forward and grabbed a hold of the energy._

 _He rolled a few times, keeping Locke close as he did. When he stopped, he panted a little before getting to his knees._

 _Chase held the energy in his hands, already feeling whole again. He let out a sigh, "Locke..."_

 _"_ ** _YOU!"_**

 _He flinched, feelings of dread building with the shadows around him. There was a whistling noise as they came down in a flash, Chase only having time to hear it. He clenched his eyes shut._

 _They struck down with all their might._

 _Silence._

 _He waited, but was surprised to feel nothing hitting him._

 _"I... Guess I can't... Fight against it," the girl rasped out._

 _Chase's eyes shot open, quickly turning back around. His eyes widened, seeing her standing between him and the shadows that would've sliced right through him, instead striking into her._

 _Ehna scrunched up his face in disgust. He flicked his wrist, the shadows ripping away from her body. She gasped, falling forward to her knees. Chase hesitated on helping, still holding onto Locke._

 _Breathing heavily, she clutched her chest with one hand and looked up to Chase. He gasped, seeing green overwhelming her amber eyes. The shadows around then started build again as Ehna watched with a disdained look._

 _"... Chase," she breathed, "... Get out."_

 _He reached out shakily, wanting to help. Wanting to do something!_

 _Everything went silent as his hand grabbed her shoulder. Instantly, he felt the overwhelming rush of thoughts surrounding him and his dad. He lost his breath as the feelings of loneliness started to overcome him. Unconsciously, he tightened his grip around Locke. His voice got caught in his throat when he saw tears dropping down into the snow._

 _"...Chase-"_

 _A snap broke the stillness. And the shadows showered down towards the two._

 _Before he could react, Chase was lifted from the ground and away from her. Small whips of darkness coiling from her feet around his torso. He stared with wide eyes as he was flung backwards towards the clearing._ _He could still see the girl's face as she got farther away and the shadows swarmed around her. Tears trailing down as emerald replaced the red in her eyes._

 _"Please... Just forget about me... Stop him and forget about this nightmare..."_

 _He let out a shout as he flew up and started to drop down immediately back into the clearing._

HLP

Alpha stood there, watching as all of their monsuno continued to push against the energy. He could still see Tripwire and Astrapi trying to get through. He honestly thought that the latter monsuno wouldn't respond to him, seeing that he had trouble with it for the past few weeks. But maybe it was because of his monsuno sight, or all the energy. Because now he was getting a reaction from the core that told him otherwise.

Besides, it was his connection to monsuno the same way that Locke was to Chase.

"Guys look! The monsuno are doing something!" Lux shouted.

The teens looked up to watch as three of the white monsuno charged straight through the energy to the other side.

"In that case, the least we can do is try to get inside and rescue Team Core Tech! We can't fail at that!" Alpha commanded. The rest of them nodded, "As soon as we can create an opening, we'll charge inside!"

They were all fatigued, tired and injured from fighting so hard all night through the blizzard, but with their newfound strength they weren't about to stop. The red-haired teen looked over his shoulder to see the Commandant still kneeling in the snow. He knew that it wouldn't be long before they got through, but...

" _Commandant_!"

The communicator in Jon's ear started to blare. He winced, his head still spinning from having to go into Toxic mode. He pressed the button.

"Yes. Go ahead."

" _The extra troops are 20 kilometers away from your location. Because of the blizzard we cannot get closer! Should we await orders?"_

Jon breathed heavily, unsure of what to say. Even though he knew that the Strike Squad were now making progress, his own mind was starting to get hazy. It was getting hard to see. He hoped that it was just the light.

"Sir!"

He turned to see a soldier running to him, clutching their shoulder, "We have secured the temple. There was evidence that Dr. Tallis was inside, as well as Darkspin."

Jon raised a brow. So this is where he was hiding after escaping. But from the sound of it, they didn't actually find the man.

"How are the injured? Were there any civilians inside?" Jon asked. The soldier shook their head.

"No. We couldn't find any," they said, "As for the injured, most are taken care of. But we really should be getting them back to the cloud carrier."

Jon frowned, and looked towards the monsuno trying to push against the energy. It was blindingly bright, their forms being reduced to shadows against the light. On the far side of the field he could see Jeredy standing there.

"Doctor!" Jon called out, "Is there any change?"

The doctor was standing there, looking up at the monsuno. The laptop sat in the snow, forgotten despite the noise it gave off. He hadn't seen energy react like this. Not since the desert.

"Jeredy!"

There were large footsteps approaching, and Jeredy finally flinched. Slowly, he turned around to see Driftblade now eyeing him just a few feet away, its color still faded into gray. His hand instantly flew to the core.

When he did, there was a reaction immediately.

He thought it was the monsuno still trying to resist him, but he quickly found out that it was the opposite. The images that flashed in his vision were proof of that.

 _A woman with long blonde hair._

 _A man with the tag 'Doctor Caligari'._

 _Petros._

 _A boy with black hair_.

The flashes went by quickly, leaving him out of breath. The core in his hand started to flash yellow suddenly.

Driftblade let out another roar, charging straight into the wall without hesitation. Its feet sank lower in the snow as it continued to push forward. The monsuno roared, shaking the ground.

There was a warmth, and the doctor looked down to see the core in his hand lighting up. He saw the same four flashes that made him halt. They were fast, going through his mind like short snapshots. He didn't even realize they were getting faster until he heard a roar. He looked up, seeing Driftblade still pushing forward.

But the pulses in the core were lessening, as if it were trying to disconnect from the core.

"D-Driftblade!" Jeredy called out. The monsuno ignored him, letting out another roar as its body started to light up. It didn't have an attack like that! What was going on?!

Driftblade roared again, it's body starting to dissipate. Jeredy gasped, realizing what it was doing. He could even hear the beeping from the laptop signaling that there was a shift in the energy. He couldn't bring himself to care about it though.

This thing that Driftblade was doing… It wouldn't survive!

It roared one last time as its body grew blindingly bright. Jeredy shielded his face as he was pushed back by the collision.

The energy lessened exponentially, allowing the others to push it back with ease. The white monsuno in the air letting out a whistling noise as it flew down towards the group. X-Ray let out a gasp.

"It's going inside!" He exclaimed, "It wants us to go with it!"

The other Strike Squad members gave him confused looks.

"How do you know that?" Lucian asked. X-Ray blushed a bit.

"I-uh-Not sure," he stammered.

"We can't just leave the troops," Kumara said, looking to the cloud hoppers, "Some of us should stay back.

Alpha looked up to the monsuno determined. His connection to his monsuno sight wasn't as strong as everyone else's, but that didn't mean he would just stand there and do nothing.

"Alright," he said, "I suppose I'll-"

"Commandant!" Itzel shouted. Alpha quickly turned around, seeing Jon now hunched over as he groaned in pain. He gripped his chest, letting a hoarse sound as he fell over completely.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, panicking. Jon didn't respond, merely trying to catch his breath.

"Where's Doctor Suno?" Alpha exclaimed, looking all around. They spotted him far across the field.

He didn't hear their calls. Only staring ahead as he saw Driftblade's form disappear into the light completely, it's core going cold in his hand.

HLP

Chase gasped. His body spasmed a bit as he was forced out of his monsuno sight so suddenly. Disoriented, he panted heavily and looked all around. He was still in the small hole, ice pelting against him. He sank in the snow as he got back to his feet and climbed out.

At first, Chase thought that he just imagined everything, seeing that his friends were still battling Babeon and Nitestone. Further along, he could see Locke. He stood up, feeling his bond stirring. If he didn't dream up what happened, then maybe-

 **"You!"**

He flinched, turning to see Ehna stalking towards him.

"You no good little leech!" he shouted, "thinking that you could get back your monsuno! You fool! It'll take more then that to get it back!"

To prove it, he held the gray core up that shone brightly against the blue light around them. Locke slowly rose up from the snow, grunting against the wind.

"It doesn't matter what you try," Ehna grinned, "As long as I have my fragment. As long as I have Pente's. _As long as I have the lynchpin_! It won't matter what you do in the end! We'll still be here to push you back down!"

Chase took a few steps forward, his hand brushing against Locke's core. The image of the girl flashed in his mind.

"What happened to... Tesserah?" He shouted. Even though he was out of the realm, the emptying loneliness was still weighing him down.

"I wouldn't worry about her. She's already dead after all!" the other laughed, "I'd be more concerned about your own predicament! You have no monsuno to use! And I'm not going to just wait for you to try and take back the lynchpin! Locke, Power harness!"

Locke roared, charging at Chase without hesitation.

"Airswitch! Restraining Siege!"

Suddenly, Airswitch appeared in front of Locke, grabbed a hold of it, and dragged it back down to the ground. As soon as they both hit the ground, Airswitch vanished.

Chase heard a noise, and quickly turned back around to see the others standing there, cores in hand as their monsuno stood by. Nitestone and Babeon were both being held down by Charger, and were obviously exhausted.

"Everyone!" Chase exclaimed,, "How did you-"

"Monsuno bond, little Suno," Dax smirked, holding up his core.

"Chase, are you okay?" Bren asked, "Did you get Locke back?"

Chase shook his head, looking towards Ehna, who's eyes were narrowed at them, "No. I didn't. But I did reach out to it. And if I can just get Locke to respond, then maybe that core will break-"

The ground started to shake all of a sudden. They all gasped, trying to hold up against it. Before any of them could react, there was a resounded flash that showered down at them. Neo-Quickforce flew up and cast a barrier before the beams hit.

Ehna looked up in surprise, then let out a curse. He turned, seeing something yellow breaking through the outer wave of energy. Further along, he could see Six's retreating form heading towards it. He swore again. Something was dissipating the energy of the seal!

He cursed again, looking back up. The least he could do was make sure Pente was out of the area. He closed his eyes, reaching to that power that was the Quickening Way.

"What's going on?" Bren exclaimed, falling over with a gasp when the shaking didn't stop.

"… It's the energy!" Jinja shouted, pointing up, "There's something happening!"

They all watched as the wall surrounding them faded away. Most of the remaining waves shot back into the central beam, which was starting to get even more chaotic. Nitestone and Babeon let out calls, and the group saw their color flashing back into their bodies.

"Chase, try calling back your monsuno now," Beyal said calmly. Chase nodded, holding out the other two cores.

"Babeon, Nitestone, return!"

The two monsuno let out whines as they turned back into a shower of light, retreating back into the cores. They let out a popping sound, and Chase sighed. He grabbed Locke's core, holding it out towards his last monsuno.

"Return!"

No response. He grit his teeth, holding the core out further. He looked down at it, then back to the brown-haired teen that was simply standing there with the gray core, looking out towards the fields of snow.

"Everyone!"

Team Core Tech all turned around to see three yellow monsuno running towards them. X-Ray was one of the teens riding, but Chase didn't recognize the other two. Their calls got Ehna's attention, who tightened his grip on the gray core.

"Oh no you don't!" he shouted, "Locke, Jaw of Light!"

Locke roared, letting a beam out towards the group. A flash of white stopped the blast short. Chase gasped, seeing the white dragon from before. It whistled, swooping down towards Locke. It knocked it and Ehna towards the central beam of light, the two falling against the fissures radiating out.

"We need to get out of here!" X-Ray shouted, "the energy is building and will go off any moment now!"

Chase kept his eyes on Ehna. He could still see the brown-haired teen's figure standing there. And he could also see the gray core shining bright. One of the white monsuno, the owl, screeched as it came down at him. The teen jumped out of the way, bolting from it as it followed, leaving Locke behind.

Chase stared, feeling his core vibrate in his hands.

"We need to get out of here!"

He ignored them, knowing that he needed to save Locke! Even if it cost him his life, he needed to get Locke away! Otherwise, there was no telling what the Hand of Destiny could do!

And there was no way he was going to leave his monsuno behind.

He ran forward without a second thought.

"Chase no!"

He pushed through the wind and snow and energy that was bursting from the pillar until he was standing there a few feet from Locke. Chase turned around briefly to see his friends figures fade into the shadows of the night, now getting further away.

He turned and stared at his monsuno, clutching its core in his hand and closed his eyes.

"..."

He breathed in deeply.

The wind faded away.

The shouts and cries became distant.

It was just him.

But he knew he wasn't alone.

He could still feel it.

His bond with Locke.

And with all his might, he called out to it.

The single order going through his mind.

"..."

 _Their bond was like a small flame, the only light in vast darkness. He reached for it, knowing that his connection was still there and alive._

 _"Locke," he said, still remembering how the energy felt in his hand, "... Please."_

 _The flame ignited. And the emptiness was replaced by its warmth._

When Chase opened his eyes, the core in his hand was shining bright blue once again. He ignore it, staring straight at Locke as blue edged back into its crystals. He held his core up high. Shouting at the top of his lungs as the wind howled around them.

"LOCKE! HYPER MODE!"

The core went wild. Chase flinched as he looked away from the blinding light to try and see Locke.

The monsuno hunched over, the glow of the crystals flaring. As it roared out, its body became shrouded in light, its figure changing. There was a sharp "CRACK!" And Locke let out one last call as it stood in its hyper mode.

Chase smiled in relief, his shoulders slumping. Locke let out a whine as the teen ran forward and grabbed its face. Chase nuzzles into its fur.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered, "It's good to see you alright. I-I was so scared that-"

Locke huffed out, but then suddenly let out a growl. Confused, Chase stepped back. He could see his monsuno looking forward, and he turned around to see Ehna standing there.

Chase stood protectively in front of Locke. Ehna was looking down at the gray core, which had a large crack in the middle of the glass. Blood was still dripping down his face, falling to the snow as his meteor fragment glistened.

"... Who would've thought that stupid bond was stronger then this," he muttered, crushing it in his hand and let the pieces fall to the ground.

Chase took a step back to Locke, keeping his core close.

"It's over," he said, "I got Locke back. And from the look of it, the energy is starting to become contained again, just like last time."

Ehna chuckled, "Oh? You mean when I stole that girl's face? Please. Don't be so naive. There are plenty of others out there who are looking to destroy monsuno. No. Not just monsuno, but also the world. It won't end here."

The white monsuno started to call out, the energy crackling at their calls.

"That's probably what will happen now that Exi is in the hands of Klipse. No doubt that if that man somehow survived, he'll find his own twisted ways of making shapeshifter cores. Maybe even something more powerful," Ehna laughed bitterly, "I guess I didn't make as much of a difference with that clone as I thought. I could barely make a difference for the Hand of Destiny..."

He turned to Chase, who shrank back at the gaze.

"... But that doesn't mean I can't continue their work!"

Before Chase could react, Ehna leapt over him and punched Locke in the jaw. It grunted, too exhausted to defend. The brown-haired teen continued his assault, kicking it backwards until it went back into blue light. Chase held the core up, catching it and started to run back.

Suddenly, he was pushed down to the ground with a harsh slam. Chase gasped, the wind knocked out of him as Ehna gripped the back of his head and pushed it into the snow. Chase struggled to get up, feeling the shaking starting to become overwhelming. He turned enough to see Ehna reaching up, chipping a small sliver the size of a needle from the meteor embedded in his skin.

"W-Wait! What are you doing?!" Chase shouted. Ehna ignored him, ripping Chase's jacket down and tearing into his shirt. Slowly, he brought the sliver close to Chase's neck.

"S-stop!"

Chase frantically tried to get up, finding it impossible. Ehna grinned darkly.

"... Maybe you will be different," He said, "Maybe you'll make the same mistakes that they did. It's just a shame I won't be there to see it."

With that, he drove it straight inside Chase's skin.

Instead of a single shard, it felt like millions of small needles had been shot into his spine all at once. Chase screamed, body instantly going numb with pain.

Suddenly, it felt like every single needle was trying to suck out his soul. No. Not his soul. His monsuno sight!

But with no way to stop it, all Chase could do was go limp as all his strength was drawn out, a searing burn going through his chest.

Ehna leaned down closer, taking Chase's hand. He whispered something into his ear, breath warm. Chase couldn't feel it, nor could he react as a jolt went through his mind. Pulling something away from him as he could only lie there in silent agony.

The other teen got off, Chase's body spasming as he did. His vision blurred as the pain in his chest got unbearable. The light all around was blinding, and it felt like he was drifting away. Ehna dug his foot under Chase's body, kicking him up towards the expanding energy.

He felt himself floating, mind going hazy. But hands were suddenly around his chest, pulling him up and away. Chase swore that he saw long orange hair, guessing it was Jinja who had swept in to save him. But he could hear a boy's voice shouting something at him that was fading away with his consciousness.

The energy exploded. Ringing was all that he could hear. The energy column expanding as it sucked it from the air like a vacuum. But even as everything started fading into darkness, he could still see those jade eyes staring at him as the other teen faded away into the white.

"See you around. Chase Suno!"

HLP

As the energy finally exploded, the pillar grew less violent and dissolved into blue particles and allowed the air to calm. The remaining amounts shot up into the sky, clearing the storm that had been building all around and allowing the sun to peek over the horizon. The sky became filled with hues of pink and orange as the monsuno soared overhead, basking in its light.

He heard a noise, and looked over to see Demise letting out a murmur as it looked out as well. Deepsix had to be called back when they couldn't get through the barrier. But there was a yellow light that helped guide him and his monsuno out, freeing them. Six sighed, looking back up to the heavens.

The last time he had seen such a sight in the sky was before in the desert. And then, he was amazed by the white, winged dragon he saw. To say that he could see it a second time kept him silent in awe. It gave him a warm feeling that was... Indescribable.

"Good job, Six!"

He turned around to see his father crawling on top of the wreckage towards him, a large smile that was even more wicked by the blood on his face. Six hadn't seen him at all throughout the commotion, so he was legitimately surprised to see his father mostly in one piece.

"You caught one of those things!" he said gleefully, "Now let's go before S.T.O.R.M. shows up. We'll retreat for now and get information on this experiment and come up with a new plan to take out Suno. We won't need the rest of them as long as we got one!"

Six hardly paid attention to the man. He looked blankly towards some of the rubble where he leant the boy next to. He remembered the things that Chase's mother had told him about the experiments, and even more from Klipse. But he couldn't quite think of them as entirely evil, if only because they were like him.

And that was a harsh reality that Six had come to accept after that brown-haired teen spoke to him when trying to get the gauntlet.

He was nothing more then an experiment in the eyes of his father.

The clone glanced up at Klipse, who was riffling through the wreckage to get to the two of them. He had a maddened look in his eyes, lips twisted in a smile. Six knew what that look meant. He had grown to fear that look.

... But that could change.

Six looked back up to the sky, letting his fears fade away as he felt the light warm him from the cold.

"What are you waiting for, let's go!" Klipse shouted, trying to climb out of the rocks and snow as he kept sinking.

"... No," Six said faintly, then turned to see the shocked face of his father, "No. I do not want to."

There was a brief moment of silence between them, the only other sound in the air being the S.T.O.R.M. ships that were quickly approaching. The wind from the dissipating tornado of energy was now starting to calm, making the air rise with their own tension. Klipse's face distorted with rage.

" _What_? Are you disobeying your father?" he hissed, gripping onto his core. Six glanced up, a look of determination in his eyes.

"No. Not my father. My creator," he said sadly, "You were never a father to me."

As if reacting to him, Demise rose from behind Six, letting out a roar. It glared down at Klipse as he started to back off. There was legitimate surprise on the man's face, almost replacing his usual mask of anger.

"Think about what you are doing Six," Klipse said, trying not to sound intimidated, "You have nowhere to go. You don't even really exist! Just a shadow! Just a carbon copy of me and Chase Suno!"

Six tightened his grip, eyes lowering. He shook his head, trying hard not to react. He had always known that pitiful fact, which he was now finally realizing was horrible. Especially because of the divide that the two caused within him. Klipse started to laugh.

"Just admit that it's true! You have no purpose being with any of them, and no one else will take you in. You have nothing but me!"

His fists were trembling. He never felt this type of anger before. It was rage, but there was also sorrow...

"You're wrong," he said, "Even... Even a person like me... Can have purpose!"

"You do have purpose," Klipse sneered with a smirk, "You are my predecessor. The one who will carry on my work after I'm gone! And as soon as we get back I'll make sure this little defect of your defiance is dealt with, along with dissecting that little nuisance over there."

Six turned around, knowing that Klipse was talking about Exi. The clone didn't look at him though. His eyes were trained on Demise. It was growling under its breath, still eyeing the man. In his clenched fist, he could feel the monsuno's own rage.

"No," Six said, looking into Demise's eyes, "No! I'm not going with you!"

He turned back to Klipse, "I'm never going to follow you again! Not now that I have true freedom!"

Klipse's expression grew darker, and he grabbed a core. Demise let out a blast at him before he could even spin it. He let out a shout as he was tossed backwards down the hill, dropping his core along the way. Six jumped down, landing a few feet away. Klipse let out a rasped noise, getting up to his knees. He started to chuckle.

"See? You just attacked me before I could get my monsuno out. Only someone like me would pull such a sneaky attack!" he grinned darkly, clutching his shoulder. It still hurt from when he landed on it in the caverns, and was probably broken. Six shook his head.

"No. I didn't attack you to be sneaky. I attacked because you would hurt someone," he said resolutely, and pointed at Klipse, "Now leave before I change my mind and attack directly."

Klipse had a puzzled look on his face, then laughed again.

"Oh? Playing hero like Chase now? I see. You just want to be good don't you? Think that you can change so easily after escaping my control?"

Six shook his head slowly, "No. Chase would want you locked up. He wouldn't hesitate to beat you down and turn you into S.T.O.R.M..."

He paused, listening as the sound of cloud hoppers started to come in earshot. He looked back up, seeing the shadows of the ships going off towards the temple as the monsuno continued higher into the sky. Their silhouettes blending into the clouds.

"But I'm not going to," Six said, taking a deep breath, "I'm letting you go, if only for sentimental reasons."

'I'm willing to show you mercy' was what Six wanted to say. But he knew from what Mrs. Suno said that his father didn't deserve such a luxury.

Klipse was absolutely livid by this point. Physically trembling with rage as he stayed hunched on the ground, staring at his defiant clone.

"... The only reason you're taking the high ground now is because of Chase's DNA running through your blood," he growled, trying to get a reaction from the teen, "If it weren't for that, you'd still be following _my_ orders. I don't know where you got the idea that you're better then me, but that will never be true!"

The man slowly rose, eyes still wide and glaring at Six. The teen wasn't afraid though. He would've been before. But it was different now. He was different...

"Just you wait Six! You'll regret turning your back on me!" Klipse hissed through his teeth, "And then you'll be BEGGING for my forgiveness! The world is a darker place then you can imagine! And I won't be there to pull you out of the depths of that place when you fall!"

Six pursed his lips, keeping a steady hold of Demise's core as Klipse turned around with a flip of his coat. With S.T.O.R.M. approaching and none of his hired hands around, the man would inevitably lose if he stayed.

The teen watched the man's figure slowly trail away, the breeze of light snow making it fade even faster. Six waited, watching just in case his fath- Klipse decided to come back. But that wasn't likely. The man was too prideful, especially because Six got the jump on him.

Six let out a shaky breath, sinking down to his knees. He couldn't believe he had just done that! He knew that Chase's mom was confident in him, and that the control that his fath-Klipse once had over his mind was now gone thanks to that guy Ehna. But just the thought of him standing up to the man made him cringe. And yet, he did it!

But now... What was he supposed to do? He looked back up to Demise still standing on the ledge. There was a reassuring warmth coming from the core as his grip loosened somewhat. That's right. His monsuno. He still had them.

He still had them.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! I NEED TO FIND HIM! I NEED TO FIND MY SON!"

Six flinched at the loud accented voice coming over the far ridge. He stood back up and turned around to see a blonde woman stumbling down towards him with a crazed look, hands cuffed in front of her as she nearly tripped over the rocks.

"M-Ma'am! I mean- inmate! Get back here! Your wounds!" a soldier shouted after, two more following behind, one of which was a man in some sort of medical uniform. The blonde woman, Charlemagne, ignored them, hurrying along towards the teen in a similar fashion to Klipse. Except she was obviously not after the clone. Her eyes were fixated on the motionless form near Demise. She stopped short, pulling out a broken blade.

"You best hand him over!" She snapped at Six, "Lest I slit your throat where you stand!"

The soldiers were hesitant on approaching at the sight of Demise. The clone was silent, unsure of what to make of the woman. She was obviously in some sort of fight by the look of bruises and blood staining her clothes. Her leg was also trembling as she stood there, and was most likely fighting off the pain or ignoring it entirely. But Six couldn't help but linger on her calls just a few moments ago.

"Where'd she go?"

"I think I heard them this way!"

He looked up towards the ridge again, seeing two other figures running down towards them. He recognized them both as Chase's friends who were also S.T.O.R.M. soldiers. The woman growled again, grip tightening on the blade.

"Well? Or are you going to fight me?" she sneered, " Best step away now! If not I'll take immense pleasure in ripping out your-"

Six made a signal to Demise with his hand. It grunted, slowly taking a few steps down the hill towards the teen as Charlemagne flinched. When it landed next to him, Six placed a hand on it as he continued to look up at the woman. She seemed confused by his action, flashing looks back and forth between them and the boy. Eventually, she dropped the blade and stumbled forward.

Her weight and wounds made her buckle down the moment she got close. Without hesitating, she scooped the boy into her lap and looped her arms around him.

"Siarl. Can you hear me?" she whispered, almost silent. Her hand brushed against his cheek, softly stroking the reddened flesh. Six felt his fists tighten, eyes lingering on the extensive burns that ran up the boy's arms down to his palms. She shook him a little, breath catching in her throat as she waited for some sort of reaction. She didn't get one.

"… Siarl… Please… You can't… I finally..."

The guise of anger that was all over her face moments ago dissolved almost instantly. In its place was sorrow. She choked a little, clinging to him even more as she broke into harsh wails. She couldn't hold them in, nor could she hold back the tears that poured down her face.

It made Six's stomach turn, hearing something so pained and raw. He looked away, instead staring at the horizon where he last saw Klipse.

A part of him also wanted to break down. To feel bad for himself. To collapse on all fours and just let everything out now that he was allowed to feel and understand the complications that was his relationship with his father.

But he didn't deserve it. Not yet.

"Demise, return."

The monsuno returned, a satisfying pop resounding. He held onto the core, feeling its energy between his fingers.

That was the true bond that he needed.

Not the fake one with his so called father.

The real one he felt with his only friend. His real friend.

"Ma'am- inmate! Don't move!" One of the soldiers ordered, going up to her with the other one. They both wretched her up, getting a roar of pain and anguish.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! BOTH OF YOU!" she shrieked, still clutching onto the boy with all her might. But it was obvious that whatever fight she was in was now taking its toll. She slumped in the soldier's hold, unable to really fight back with her hands still cuffed. She continued to curse at the soldiers as the medic pulled Exi from her.

"STOP! GIVE HIM BACK TO ME! THAT'S MY SON YOU IDIOTS!"

Six gave one last look towards Charlemagne, who was doing everything she could to fight out of the soldiers' hold. Because of her, they weren't paying any attention to the clone. He could feel the warmth of the sun as it started to rise over the horizon and showered its light over them.

He turned away, and started walking towards the sunlight. As the shouts from S.T.O.R.M. soldiers grew quieter, he continued to look towards the horizon. Something glittered at his feet, and he saw it was his father's- Klipse's core. He picked it up wordlessly, and looked up towards the sky. For a brief moment, he saw the same dragon from the desert. He still found himself admiring its beauty as it glistened in the light.

After all, a shadow like him was still allowed to enjoy the splendor and warmth of the dawn.

* * *

A/N: Review review review!


	45. Chapter 45

A/N: Thanks to ChasexJinjaForever, Darpsonic6, and monsuno power for the reviews. Finally down to the last few chapters (and I say chapters because I had to split them up into two because of the length)

Enjoy!

* * *

 _Voices all over. Shouting, far away._

 _Blinding white everywhere. Shadowy figures in the distance, coming close and disappearing constantly._

 _"Ch... Chase... Can you...?"_

 _"Doctor over... There's... I have a..."_

 _"... Chase... hold..."_

 _It hurt. Everything hurt._

 _What was happening. Why did he feel this way. Everything was blank. Couldn't recall anything. Those voices were familiar, but no names could be placed to them._

 _There was no direction. There was no up or down. There was only pain._

 _Why couldn't someone help?_

 _There were five figures in the distance. Familiar, but unrecognizable. They were fading away into the light as everything grew dark. Four of them were reaching out, too far to take a hold. The last was giant, the only one making noise. Roaring._

 _It too was getting further away..._

 _"Oh poor Suno."_

 _Who was that?_

 _There was someone else here._

 _... Where was here again?_

 _"You can't escape this. Jeredy is clever, but not clever enough. He can't fix this. And he can't fix you."_

 _Everything was fading further into nothing. There was no choice but to sink. And drown._

HLP

A little over a week had passed by quickly as everyone recovered from the mission in the mountains. Jon sighed, sitting back in his seat as he finished off one of the last reports dealing with the incident. He eyed the file containing the extensive list of damages done to both the temple and people involved. He was glad to say that they were successful in stopping the Hand of Destiny's plan, though he wasn't sure if he could call it a victory.

The enemy took the most damage, with two of the Hand of Destiny, the bookman, and almost all of their monsuno becoming casualties. For some reason the purple monsuno reacted violently when the energy dissipated, even collapsing. The ones they were able to spare were now being held in the quarantine section of the ship to await Jeredy's diagnosis. Of course he was busy looking after the two who were apprehended that were in need of medical attention.

Jon scooped some of the files together, trying to tidy up his desk.

Of course it wasn't just the Hand of Destiny that was involved. There were others that were seen during the battle, including Eklipse members and Dr. Tallis. He could only assume that everyone had left when things got bad. The Desert Wolves were the only ones still around after the energy had calmed, but they were quick to vanish when the cloud hoppers appeared, though Jack wasn't with them.

Two more from the Hand of Destiny were also missing, and it was hard to tell if they had gotten away or if they had perished somewhere else. They had barely recovered the two other bodies as it was, so it wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.

Jon sighed again, leaning back and covering his eyes as he recalled the last few moments that he could remember from that time.

In the middle of the commotion, he was half conscious trying to give orders out to the reinforcements to help everyone and contain the monsuno. He was lucky that Alpha was there to help, especially given how most of his team was down. After the light disappeared, the monsuno were easy to subdue. It was everyone else that needed to be looked after.

Nobody had come back unharmed. The soldiers' injuries varied from minor to life threatening, including the members of both Strike Squads. Most of them had been given the all clear after a few days in the medical bay, but Tango had only been given permission to leave earlier this morning. And even then, some of them were recommended to stay and rest for another week in the recovery wing.

As far as Team Core Tech went, they all came out considerably better then the rest of everyone. Chase was the only one in serious condition, who quickly under went surgery as soon as he got onto one of the ships. Lucky for him Jeredy was there, and the teen was currently in the recovery wing. In the mean time, Jon had been filing papers nonstop, wanting everyone to recover without the worry of official work.

After all, they had another matter to consider at the moment.

Given how they were now short of a commanding officer, Jon needed to fill the position as quickly as he could, lest the world council takes charge and finds someone who would be less trusting. It wasn't that Jon was untrusting of the council's judgement, it would just take a while for the appointed officer to be considered in his inner circle. Still, Jon was hesitant on replacing Trey.

How could he? He could barely even comprehend the fact that the other man was gone. This was a common occurrence for soldiers, but it didn't make it any easier. Jon desperately wanted to ask Jeredy for his advice on the matter of replacement. But the scientist hadn't so much as left for sleep, barely leaving for food.

Jon cracked his neck. Deciding that now wasn't the time to sit around and mull things over, he stood up to leave his office. He was just planning on walking down the hall for the sake of air, but eventually Jon decided that it would be good to see how Jeredy was fairing. It didn't take him long to get down to the medical bay.

He heard familiar voices in one of the rooms, seeing three teens inside. Bravo and Kilo were both in beds, mostly having severe gashes and stab wounds (though Bravo apparently came down with pneumonia in the blizzard). X-Ray was sitting in one of the nearby chairs with a tablet in his hands that was beeping away. Jon could tell it was some sort of game, but was questioning why he was wearing a suit rather then his typical S.T.O.R.M. uniform. They all saluted at the sight of him.

"Commandant!"

He chuckled lightly, waving his hand to hint to them to stop when he walked in, "At ease everyone. No need for that."

They all loosened up immediately, but still seemed intimidated by Jon's presence. The first one to speak up was Kilo.

"What are you doing down here sir? Shouldn't you be helping with the preparations?" he asked.

"What preparations?"

"For the uh..." X-Ray started, then shifted in his seat, "The service. For the soldiers and... Commander Trey."

Jon blinked a few times. Oh. That's right. He really did lose track of time to forget about the service (which was probably why X-Ray was wearing the suit).

"I'll take care of that soon... Do any of you know where the rest of your squad is at?" Jon asked out of curiosity. The group exchanged looks.

"Well. Tango just left. She hasn't had the opportunity to leave at all and wanted some fresh air," X-Ray said, then grew quiet. There was a knowing look on all their faces, especially Bravo.

"Alpha is... Wandering," Kilo said, not bothering to look up, "Can't really tell where he's at."

"I see," Jon said. He'd have to find the teen later. No doubt he was still feeling guilty about the mission. He shook his head, "Thank you. I'll see you all in a little bit."

The three saluted, and Jon headed out into the hallway. He turned to go towards the critical bay. There was one wing that was reserved just for apprehended suspects. No one else should be down there, besides Jeredy.

A few metal doors and codes later, Jon was standing there in the middle of the hallway with two rooms on opposite sides. He took a few steps, looking through the left viewing window to see Jeredy writing on a clipboard next to a dark skinned teen with bushy hair. He didn't notice the other walk in, focusing on the unconscious teen. Jon looked to the right into the opposite room, letting out a small gasp when he saw someone else sitting next to the bed inside.

Hesitantly, Jon gave one more glance towards Jeredy, who was still writing, and walked into the other room.

The steady rhythm of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room. Jon was a little surprised to see a guard standing by, but given the two other occupants, maybe it wasn't surprising at all.

The soldier noticed, giving a small salute. Jon watched the blond woman sitting in the chair for a second before motioning for the soldier to stand down. They didn't question it, simply walking out and standing outside. Jon closed the door, leaving him and the other two inside.

He turned back around, eyes landing on the small form lying in the bed.

A body now frail and weak was lying there, chest slowly rising and falling as bandages ran along his arms, legs, and torso. Charlemagne sat there to the left, head bowed looking down at her cuffed hands attached to the bedrail.

Jon gave her a sympathetic look, slowly stepping further inside. He knew that months ago, the woman would've thrown the nearest chair at him for simply staring. But with the defeated way she looked, he could hardly even believe that she was once someone as fearsome as a commandant of S.T.O.R.M..

He stood there at the foot of the bed, eyes now landing on the raven-haired boy. Looking closer, he could start to see some of the resemblance. More so to Charlemagne's late husband. In his search for Caligari, he had forgotten to check the casualty records for anyone who may have been related to her. The only records he bothered to look at with were those who were alive, and even that was a dead end with a sister who wanted nothing else to do with S.T.O.R.M. after a fight with Charlemagne.

He let out a sigh. What a mess...

"Why are you here Jon," she said lowly, not bothering to look up. He jumped at her voice. Despite it holding no authority, it still set him on edge.

"... I came to check on how you're doing," he said stiffly, "You may not want it, but you have my... Sympathies, for what has transpired."

She started to chuckle bitterly.

"Oh. Thank you so much!" she scoffed, "That's exactly what I need right now. Sympathy. It'll make everything better..."

Jon frowned. He scratched the back of his neck, not liking how small this room started to become.

"... Commander Trey's funeral is today," Jon said, "Although it wouldn't be allowed, you may be able to attend it under supervision-"

"Oh ho ho ho... Would you want that Jon?" she asked, "Are you sure the world council will let you get away with that twice? I did escape the last time I was allowed to go with you."

Jon was silent. She still wasn't looking at him. Maybe she couldn't. He turned to the unconscious boy, seeing his wrists shackled down to the bed.

"... No. I don't think you will," Jon reasoned, "It's clear that you'll be here for an even longer stay then last time. Guaranteed. But the least you can do is pay respects to Trey and his family. His sister and nephew are going to be there. I'm sure they could hear a few good things about what he-"

"All he ever did was screw things up!" Charlemagne interrupted, "He got in my way more then helped. He couldn't take on Jeredy's brat, and he certainly couldn't get me Jeredy Suno! And he betrayed me when I needed him most-"

She choked on her words, hunching lower. Jon couldn't see her face from the angle, but he could definitely see her frame trembling.

"... That man was nothing but a worm," she hissed almost silently, "Now he can go rot in the ground like one."

He let out a sigh, wishing that she would show a little more tact. Jon turned away, opening the door slowly. He cast one last glance over his shoulder. She was still shaking when he left, but it was hard to tell if it was from anger or sorrow or regret. But he could definitely hear her faint sobs as he shut the door.

He stood outside the room, seeing the soldier ready to go back inside. He motioned for them to wait a moment, if only to give Charlemagne some semi-privacy. His attention was drawn up when Jeredy walked out of the other room.

The doctor let out an exhaustive sigh, clearly worn out from working days on end.

"Jeredy," Jon said, going up to the man, "How is your work going?"

Jeredy ran a hand through his hair with a sigh before replying, "Good. It's going good... For now I'm just monitoring Dax's friend. It was lucky I got there when I did, otherwise I don't think he would've pulled through... At this rate he should make a full recovery in a few weeks."

Jeredy gazed through the window to the room Charlemagne was in. His expression was serious, but also somber.

"How about him? Is there any progress?" Jon asked. He was legitimately concerned, if only because he knew that Charlemagne would fight anyone who so much as tried to move her. Bringing her here was the only way to get her to stop screaming in the holding cells.

"Unfortunately no," Jeredy said, gaze falling, "Physically his body is in a state of shock, severe burns all over and especially serious on his arms. There's also the problem with his hands. There were monsuno infused fragments of rock in them. Embedded by the look of it."

Jeredy's eyes trained on the figure, the dark circles from lack of sleep evident in the fluorescent light.

"... The wounds are not healing, and the problem is that I haven't seen anything like his physical makeup to know what to do. He's human, but also something else..."

The scientist let out another sigh as he rubbed his eyes.

"All I can do now is try and keep him somewhat stable. It hasn't been easy, and I'm not sure if I can keep it up..."

Charlemagne's hands slowly rose up onto the bed to curl around his bandaged, bloody palm.

"Will he at least be able to wake up?" Jon asked, eyes lingering on the motionless body through the glass window.

"I can't say for certain," Jeredy said honestly, "From the sheer amount of monsuno essence in his body, I was surprised he even survived. I guess only time will tell."

Jon nodded, closing his eyes. He wasn't even sure how he was going to bring this up to the council. Clearly the boy would need to be help accountable, or at least questioned on where the other members of the Hand of Destiny could be. But the question was if the World Council would deem that necessary...

"Well. There was one good thing that came out of this," Jeredy said, then held out a vial. Jon saw a small amount of blue liquid inside, slightly glowing.

"... What is it?" Jon asked, taking the vial.

"It's a cure," Jeredy said, "A true cure. After analyzing his blood, I found the strand that helped keep them human. It took a while, but I manage to isolate it. Unfortunately, it won't work on Charlemagne's son because of his DNA being a little more complex, but it should work on you."

Jon stared down at the vial, heart starting to race. The doctor clapped a hand on the Commandant's shoulder.

"If you really want to be turned back to normal, then just take it," he said, "I know I said before that having a Toxic mode would be useful. But now that you're in charge of S.T.O.R.M., well. Maybe it's better that we put that chapter behind us."

Jon took the vial in his hand. The Toxic Mode was one of the barriers that was keeping him from spinning out. He couldn't exactly be helpful in the field without monsuno. And with the scare that he gave everyone during the last mission, leaving them all without anyone to guide them was something that he couldn't afford.

Though that did give him a sudden idea for the next in command.

Jon pocketed the vial, intending on taking it after the service. He turned to Jeredy, "What about you doctor? How are you doing?"

The doctor ran a hand through his hair, unsure of what to say. Eventually he stared up at the ceiling.

"Those strange visions I kept seeing have stopped," he said, "But I'm sure it's because Driftblade is gone... I couldn't figure out why I was seeing them at first. I knew they were memories, but..."

Jeredy looked ahead into the room, "But now I'm sure that it was Driftblade reacting to that boy's DNA when he touched the core the night they snuck onto the cloud carrier. Charlemagne did mix her's in with the monsuno when it was still being developed after all."

Jon raised a brow. A report on Driftblade's creation was never found. How did Jeredy know that? He watched as the other's eyes trailed over to Charlemagne, who still hadn't moved at all.

"Although I'll have to admit," Jeredy said, scratching the back of his neck, "I was a little surprised to learn about Charlemagne's son. Who knew a woman as ruthless as her would have a child?"

Jon shifted uncomfortably for a moment.

"... Let's take a walk," he said, walking down the hall and away from the viewing window. Jeredy cast one more glance in the room before following.

"To be honest. It wasn't something she wanted people to know about," Jon said. When he turned and saw the look on Jeredy's face, he let out a sigh.

"Charlemagne... She..." he shook his head, trying to find the right words, "A while back, before she was given the title of Commandant Marshall, Charlemagne wasn't always as cold as she was."

He remembered the report filled out by Trey.

"But then, after a monsuno attack on her home city, something... Changed her. Suddenly, there was this hatred towards them." Jon shook his head as he spoke, "Something happened that day. But to find out what it was now is... Strange."

The two of them stopped for a moment next to one of the large windows, displaying the skies. It was bright out, despite the gray clouds littering all around the ship that threatened to pour down at them.

"It kind of makes you wonder. How much all of this started because of them," Jeredy said, crossing his arms, referring to the Hand of Destiny and all that they had done.

The experiments. The abductions, including of Sophia. Even in recent months when they were coming after him and Chase. They were all gone, and yet the Hand of Destiny was still influencing their lives.

Jeredy shook his head, "Regardless. As a scientist, I need to find a way to help everyone's lives, even Charlemagne. And as a parent, I need to do everything to make sure she doesn't have the same worries that I did with Chase during the aftermath..."

Jon watched him for a moment, and they both looked out the window silently. Finally, Jon let out a sigh.

"... You're a good man. Jeredy."

HLP

Lux hummed as he walked down the hallway. He had just gotten done seeing Rose off with his team and wanted to get a look around the ship before they left. The brown-haired girl was still feeling regret by what happened, but there were some things between her and the rest of S.T.O.R.M. that hadn't been resolved. Lux was sure that she wouldn't have been able to stand being here for another day from the horror stories that she told. Instead, she was ready to go back to one of the Core Tech labs.

"I hope we get to see her again," Lux sighed. At the moment, he was trying to find the first Strike Squad to say a quick farewell. The others thought he was crazy to want that, given the situation. But he didn't want to leave on bad or awkward terms. When he turned the corner, he knew he was going to get that wish.

"Alpha?" He said, walking towards the teen. Alpha froze, quickly turning to him.

"Lux? Wh-what are you doing here?" Alpha stuttered. He was standing there, looking out through one of the larger viewing windows that showed the open skies. Right now it only showed gray clouds, but even that was impressive by the enormous window.

"Just checking the view before me and my squad head out," the orange-haired teen shrugged, trying to play it casual, "We're leaving in an hour or so to go back to the base in the south where we're stationed. Duty calls and all."

"You're not staying for the... Service?" Alpha questioned hesitantly, leaning forward against the banister.

"N-No. We have work to get back to," Lux said, scratching the back of his neck, "We-uh. I mean, I was the only one who knew who Commander Trey was. But even then I only knew him because of my mom."

"Your mom?" Alpha said with a raised brow. Lux's cheeks reddened at what his voice hinted at.

"I-I mean because of business!" he said quickly, "They always had meetings about your squad and expectations- and that just made her push us further in our training-"

"Woah woah woah! Hold it!" Alpha said, staring at the other teen, "Your mom is your commanding officer?!"

He shrugged his shoulders, looking back to Alpha, "Y-yeah. She is. Kinda scary to be honest."

He chuckled awkwardly before growing silent. It stretched between them, suddenly making it tense. Lux looked out the window while Alpha stood there stiff and unsure.

Admittedly Lux had been thinking about her during the battle. When they found out what happened to Trey, she was the first one he thought of. He immediately started to panic at the thought of what it would mean if they failed. S.T.O.R.M. would get involved even more. Then she might've...

He shook his head, scolding himself for being caught off guard by his own emotions like that.

And despite the rest of them panicking, Alpha was there to give them courage.

"I'm... Really glad I got to meet you," Lux said, cheeks going red as he grinned. When Alpha didn't say anything, he continued, "When I first came to S.T.O.R.M., it was crazy to think I could even be part of something like monsuno. But all the stories about you and your squad was so inspirational! I'm... Well. Thanks."

He scratched his cheek, feeling bashful as he shuffled his feet. He was so caught in his thoughts, that he failed to see Alpha's clenched fists shaking.

"... We only got four."

Lux turned back around, lips still quirked, "eh?"

"We only got four of them," Alpha muttered, head bowing somewhat as he leaned forward even more, "We took down three, but only one of them got brought in for questioning. And it's not like he can say much stuck in the critical bay..."

"And those other two are still out there. They have to be. That guy with the crystal eye. And the woman that beat me in Axistown..."

His grip tightened on the bar. Lux watched, seeing him tremble from rage. He looked down, unsure of what to say.

"Alpha?"

They both slowly turned around. It was Commandant Marshall Jon Ace.

"Sir," Alpha said, Lux saluting behind him. Jon didn't seem to mind, casually walking up to the teen.

"I'm glad I caught up to you," he said, "There was something I wanted to discuss with you if you wouldn't mind."

The red-haired teen stiffened, but gave a nod.

"... Hey, Senior."

Alpha turned to the orange-haired teen, who was looking at him with a serious look. Before he could respond, Lux held out his hand.

"I mean it. Thanks."

Alpha stared, caught off guard. He bowed his head somewhat, taking Lux's hand. His grip was light, as if he were hardly putting any effort into it. That didn't keep the younger teen from taking hold with all his might.

When he let go, the two trailed down the hallway, leaving Lux alone.

He let out a sigh, looking back out the window before bringing out Spritelight's core. It shone brightly, casting blur and yellow into the gray hall.

"... I guess it's time we go as well."

HLP

He was glad to be able to sit in the garden without the worry of others interfering. Not just the occasional curious S.T.O.R.M. officer, but also strange visions and lost souls that had been bothering him. Beyal inhaled slowly, letting his breath out with ease.

But with no other visions coming up, the monk was left without anything to really ponder. Eventually, he plopped backwards into the grass, feeling it prickle his arms. He never got his cloak replaced, but it was considerably warm enough inside for him to not notice. The pool of water nearby shifted with the ship, sloshing waves against the rocks every so often.

He was worried. With Chase still recovering and everyone generally being anxious, it was hard to relax. But there wasn't much to do otherwise. Jeredy had done all that he could during the surgery, and they would only know if there was any serious damage after Chase made a full recovery.

Beyal tried to get a vision for what the future may hold, but nothing really came. All that kept coming up was an old memory that he thought was a dream at first. And the only reason he knew it was a memory was because Master Ey was in it. Back when Beyal was younger.

Footsteps were approaching from behind, but he could already tell who it was. He turned, giving a welcoming smile.

"Hello Mrs. Suno," he said as the brown-haired woman came up beside him, "Were you wanting to tend to your garden?"

She nodded to him, "Yes. If only because I needed to get out of the flat... You wouldn't have happened to see Jeredy have you? I haven't seen him for days, and I'm getting worried. Every time I go down to the hospital wing, he's always hiding in the restricted area..."

Sophia let out a sigh, sitting down next to the monk. He shook his head as he sat back up, "I'm afraid not. I don't think I've seen him around at all."

He was being somewhat truthful. While he hadn't seen the doctor around, he wasn't exactly making it a priority to see _anyone_. It just didn't feel right to be around others right now...

"I suppose he needs time," she said, "That mission really was something that changed everyone. Though I'm at least glad that everyone will be able to see Trey off today. It'll put their hearts to some ease."

Beyal nodded, although he knew that wasn't what was bothering the doctor. He had to do surgery on Chase for almost an entire day, and even then Chase had been sleeping non stop for the past week and a half. They all kept visiting him, but it didn't seem like he would be waking up anytime soon.

"I just hope Jeredy can pull himself away from his work long enough to go," Sophia continued, looking out to the pool. Beyal looked up through the glass ceiling. Downpour was threatening, though it would be nice to listen to through the glass. It wouldn't help with the service though.

"... Will you be alright Mrs. Suno? Did you know Trey?" he asked, watching the clouds overhead.

 _"Probably more then you did."_

He gasped, quickly turning to the familiar voice. He saw Mrs. Suno, her lips moving as she said something about how she didn't know the Commander very well. But the words fell deaf to his ears at the sight of the other in the room.

Standing there on the far side of the garden was a familiar tall woman with white hair. She smirked, staring him straight in the eye as she walked out the door into the hall.

He stood up, watching as she disappeared behind the corner.

"... Is something the matter?" Sophia asked, standing up as well. She turned to the hall curiously, then looked back to the monk with a raised brow.

"Um... It's nothing," he muttered, then shook his head. He had to have imagined it. S.T.O.R.M. never confirmed who was killed in the battle, but he was positive that Duo couldn't possibly be around anymore. There was a part of him that just knew.

But this wasn't the first time this happened.

"Well... Then, there's something I'd like to ask you," Sophia said, drawing his attention, "It's about Chase-"

Beyal bit his lip, still watching the hallway.

"Actually. Would you excuse me for a moment," he said, and ran past her. He wasn't sure what he was pursuing, but every flash of white made him run faster. It wasn't possible, and yet, he knew it was her.

Eventually, he wound back up at his room. He looked around to see if anything was out of place. A few empty cores and the scrolls of the Five Tribes on the desk, along with a few other random relics on the floor that S.T.O.R.M. gave back to him. Apparently the scrolls were in the temple, found amongst some of the other items that were brought by Eklipse, though S.T.O.R.M. was kind enough to give them to him instead of send them back to the library.

Beyal went to his bed stand, still seeing a few letters that were written to him from Bekka. He was a little disappointed that she didn't come back to S.T.O.R.M. with him. But she was resolute in trying to rebuild the temple, and he couldn't fault her for that. If anything, he wanted to go with her...

But as it was, he needed to stay here. It's what his purpose was-

"Beyal!"

He turned around, seeing Sophia standing there in the doorway. She had a look of concern on her face, obviously disturbed by his reaction.

"I'm sorry Mrs. Suno," he said, "I was just... Bothered by something."

He looked back down at the letters from Bekka. Sophia took a few steps inside.

"Well... In that case, I might be asking too much from you," she sighed. He turned back around, seeing her staring at the floor.

"... As much as I want to say he'll be alright. I fear for Chase," she said, "I cannot see his future anymore. And I have a feeling that his path is going somewhere that I cannot follow."

She shook her head, looking up to him. Her eyes were glistening, bright teal in the darkened room.

"Please... Look after him for me," she said, then started walking out the door. She held onto the doorframe, pausing briefly, "After today, everything will be different..."

She walked out, leaving the monk alone. He stared at the floor, pondering her words. She acted like Chase was going to leave. He hadn't even woken up yet, so why would she-

" _Looks like you found yourself a nice new little family without the useless ties of our people to hold you back."_

Beyal jumped, quickly turning around to see the tall white-haired woman leaning in the doorway. She had to slump rather low just to fit, but it was still alarming. His hand flew to a core.

 _"That's adorable,"_ she hummed, looking around the room, _"After all, it's not like monsuno knowledge is really necessary anymore. Not with that greedy bookman gone, along with your master, the last source of our knowledge."_

Beyal stood up a little, hand easing away from his cores. He blinked a few times, wondering if he was dreaming or in a vision. He rubbed his eyes for good measure, still seeing Duo stand there gazing down at her hand. He realized that her hands weren't crystal anymore.

 _"So what will you do little monk boy?"_ she asked, still not looking at him, " _Going to go to your friends? Turn your back on everything and live your life to the fullest? Might as well now that the temple is gone."_

He stared for a moment, not sure what to make of her presence.

" _Are you going to follow your destiny and her words? I doubt it. You seemed to have given up on the idea of becoming Ey's successor,_ " she sighed, leaning further back as her shirt slipped open somewhat. He saw a large gouge in the middle of her chest that made his stomach turn.

He stood there, still watching the woman on the other side of the room. Eventually, her green eyes flickered up at him briefly before falling again, a slight smirk on her lips, " _What's with that look?"_

"Are you... Really here or just in my head?" he asked curiously. She continued to lean against the wall, now twisting one of the locks of her white hair between her fingers.

"... _I'm real for you. And that's all that matters."_

He stood there, eyes not leaving the spot where he saw the white haired woman vanish in a blink of an eye.

 _"See you on the other side, monk boy."_

HLP

"Sir, if this is about the mission. I know my mistakes," Alpha said. He and the commandant were walking down the hall, though it was obvious that Jon was trying to be more casual about it as the teen had to keep his strides small to stay behind him.

"It is about the mission, but it has nothing to do with your mistakes," Jon said, coming to a stop as he looked out the window. Alpha was ahead by a few steps, hesitantly walking up next to the man.

"Alpha," Jon said, "What is the mission of S.T.O.R.M.?"

Alpha raised a brow, caught off guard by the question. He cleared his throat.

"To apprehend monsuno and preserve peace. We protect the public by working in the shadows. never compromising the knowledge of monsuno and monsuno related activity," he said, almost robotically. It was something that he had to memorize countless times for Charlemagne when preparing to become the Strike Squad leader.

"True. But that's not quite right anymore," Jon corrected, "We also have to help the connection between monsuno and humans in order for peace to truly be achieved. It's why we have Jeredy working here... And why I tried to use Toxic Mode."

Jon ran a hand over his face with a sigh.

"Obviously that was the wrong way to go at it. Monsuno need a different kind of communication and bond. Something that you clearly have a better understanding of."

He stood closer to the window, watching the light rain starting to hit.

"Even Trey saw it. He knew that adults would never be able to achieve the bonds that you and the others have between monsuno. It was the reason that he started the other Strike Squad," Jon said, "And. Why I am sure that you will be able to continue what he started."

"... Commandant?"

Jon turned to the other, holding his closed fist out. Alpha held his own out. Jon dropped a small object in his palm. The teen's eyes widened at the sight of Trey's lieutenant pin.

"I was wanting to promote you to Commander, if only so you can start the process of filling the position. But easing you into it would be better. Especially if you were still wanting to be with your squad-"

 _"_ Why are you even giving me this?" Alpha muttered, head bowing as his grip tightened around the pin, "So much happened because of me- Lux was the one who saved Chase! All I did was put everyone in danger- I got Trey killed!"

Tears were swelling in his eyes, blurring his vision.

"I don't deserve something like this-I'm just-I can't-"

"Alpha."

The man took his shoulders, now kneeling down somewhat so they were eye to eye.

"No one is blaming you for what happened," he said, "You called for backup, and that's all you could've done. You made sure to assess the situation and made decisions accordingly. You did exactly what needed to be done. You stayed behind to help rather then play the hero because it was for the good of everyone else. And that's the _exact_ type of thinking that makes a great leader."

Jon stood back up, looking out the window.

"And I know that you can do it. You were right there next to me during the chaos, still managing everyone when I couldn't. So don't sell yourself short," he said with a gentle grin.

Alpha stood there, looking back down at the pin. His stomach was doing cartwheels at the thought of being able to make a change in S.T.O.R.M.. Personally, he wanted to back down, but at the same time...

"I... This is."

"Give it some thought. I don't expect an answer right away," Jon said, looking back outside, "Things are going to be changing, and I'll need someone like you to be here to help."

Alpha gripped the small pin, quickly blinking the remaining tears from his eyes. He gave a salute, and made his way down the hall.

He continued to stare down at the pin as he walked. Despite his inner qualms, he was in awe that the commandant actually said that. The _commandant!_ Alpha couldn't wait to tell the rest of them-

He came to a halt immediately.

That's right. His team. What was going to happen now? He wasn't about to leave them on their own, especially after that whole battle they just endured. But he knew that they would want him to take the opportunity. Hell. Bravo and X-Ray had always been the ones urging him to ask for more missions, knowing that it would look good on his record.

Alpha shook his head. No. This was something that would affect them all. They had been through so much over the past year, and he wasn't about to make such a crucial decision without at least hearing what the others had to say. Knowing that they would all be in the same place, he decided to go straight down the hall to the medical bay.

As he was walking down the hall, he noticed three people gathered at the end, two of which seemed to be in a heated argument. When he came closer, Alpha instantly recognized one as Jinja.

She stopped at the sight of him, gaining the attention of the other two.

"Jinja-uh. Aren't you going to the service yet?" he asked, now staring fully at the other two as things started clicking together in his head.

Jinja sighed, then stood up a bit straighter.

"I would, but I have to explain some things," she said, "But first. Alpha. Meet my parents."

* * *

A/N: Review Review Review!


	46. Chapter 46

A/N: Part 2 of last chapter because it got too long.

Enjoy!

* * *

He was one of the first to be waiting for everyone on top, which wasn't something normal. He gazed all around, trying to see anyone recognizable. All the soldiers weren't wearing their helmets, which was a little out of place. Of course, it wasn't like Dax had much to do anyway right now besides watch the crowds. For the most part, he was left to lie around in bed to recover.

It was only when they got back to the cloud carrier did he realize how injured he was. Five bruised ribs, dislocated shoulder, and multiple sprains. He winced whenever he moved, but knew it would be better to be out and about rather then hang in bed.

He wasn't going to miss today for a little bed rest. Sure, he didn't really know Commander Trey. But that wasn't going to keep Dax from paying some respects to him. Plus he was sure everyone else would need the support.

He knew what it was like to lose someone important.

Digging in his pocket, Dax pulled out a small picture that was given to him after their mission. The same one that was given to him by Klipse all those months ago in the desert. His mother looked back at him, the gentle smile that held a familiar warmth. The only answer he could come up with was that the shapeshifter had it, which was why he was able to look like his mother back when they fought in the ruins.

To him, that just meant that Chase must've finished off the guy for S.T.O.R.M. to have gotten the picture. None of them were allowed to know the details of who was killed except for the troops who were going to be honored today, but there was no way that Ehna had survived that explosion after the seal was remade.

"At least I hope so," he sighed, shoving the picture back into his pocket to lean back against the banister, "Where is everyone? Never thought I'd be the punctual one."

He could see the crowds shuffling around as they prepared to leave. There was a memorial sight that S.T.O.R.M. used off shore that everyone would need to go to, though they were waiting for the Commandant to make his appearance. The rest of his team hadn't shown up either. He knew they wouldn't be hanging around in Chase's room today though, so what was keeping them?

"Never thought I'd see you in a Tux."

He looked over to the side, raising a brow at the soldier who spoke up to him. They walked up to his side, leaning against the bars, looking up to the sky through their helmet. Dax ignored them, glancing over the crowds to see Bren looking around.

"... So. How goes it?" the soldier asked casually.

"As good as it could be," Dax muttered, not really feeling up for talking. He could see Bren walking further into the crowd. Dax wasn't about to move though, considering how he just got settled. Glasses would come this way eventually.

"I heard that mission was really something," the soldier said, "Of course, that's not all I heard."

"Oh really?" Dax mumbled, watching as Bren disappeared from sight. He probably saw one of the others.

"Ya. Rumors are that Dr. Tallis' factory was spotted someone in the remote section of the coastline," the soldier said, leaning back further, "Apparently, it's got something brewing inside. Might be worth checking into if you ask me."

Dax let out a scoff, not really interested in rumors.

"That guy doesn't even have his monsuno anymore," Dax said, seeing the second Strike Squad going to their own ship as they said fair-wells, "I should know. Took em right out of his hands. Besides, it's Klipse that everyone is going to have to look for."

His fists clenched at the thought of the man. He had seen Dr. Suno take on the deranged scientist, but S.T.O.R.M. never confirmed if he was captured nor if he had been killed. That just meant he was still out there somewhere, plotting away for his next move. Of course, Dax was able to save his best friend from that scientist's clutches, but neither of them would've been put into that situation in the first place if it weren't for Eklipse.

Which was the only reason he was willing to stay in S.T.O.R.M. at this point. Sure his friends were here, but for how much longer? With Chase out of it, the rest of them haven't exactly been eager to hang out as usual. Yesterday he heard Jinja crying again. Bren refused to talk at all, and Beyal had been absent the whole week. The future wasn't looking too bright for Team Core Tech...

Automatically, Dax blamed it on Klipse. More so then the Hand of Destiny.

"I swear if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to make him pay," Dax said, gritting his teeth, "Klipse will wanna think twice next time he decides to mess with me or my family!

"... I wouldn't worry about him," the soldier said, leaning back, "S.T.O.R.M. found his hideout thanks to an anonymous tip. The place was completely empty."

Dax stared at the soldier. They turned away somewhat, and continued.

"Of course, he could've gone to another hideout," they said, "But it's clear that he's abandoned the lowlands. S.T.O.R.M.'s been canvasing the place all week. No sign of the guy."

The crowds started shifting. Dax could see Commandant Marshall Jon Ace now walking towards one of the cloud hoppers. Everyone took that as a sign to proceed, following into other ships. Dax kicked off from his spot, ready to get this over with.

"I'd try looking into both if I were you," the soldier said, making Dax stop for a moment, "If only to put your mind at ease. Especially if your so bold as to make that kind of promise. Wouldn't want to forget huh?"

Dax snorted, "Sure... Why not."

He saw the Strike Squad making their way towards one of the cloud hoppers. The rest of his team was probably with them.

"... By the way. You might wanna lose the helmet. It looks too suspicious given the circumstances," Dax said, pausing when he saw the soldier still staring off to the sky, "Of course. It'd be hard to do that if you weren't wanted, eh Drezz?"

The soldier was silent, then started chuckle as he turned around.

"I haven't the slightest idea of what you're talking about," he said with a grin, pausing as he looked over his shoulder, "... But I'll remember that for next time."

HLP

To say that she had inherited her parents looks was a bit of an overstatement. If anything, Jinja had only really gotten her mother's features. The same freckles. The same red hair. The same lips that also most likely gave the same mischievous smirk. The only thing she got from her father were her eyes. A bright blue that mimicked that of the sky. On him however, they were more icy and cold.

She stood there, waiting for a reaction from Alpha who simply looked back and forth, completely baffled by the scene. Admittedly, even she was surprised by their appearance. It was only when she got back did she realize how long she hadn't responded to them, rightfully getting their attention. She cleared her throat again, watching as the two took the lead and went up to the other teen.

"Mr. and Mrs. Le Roux," her mother said, trying to give him a friendly smile. He looked nervous at the daggers being glared at him by the older man. Alpha quickly shook his head to snap out of his daze. He took the woman's hand.

"Strike Squad Operative Alpha," he said, holding a hand out for the man to shake.

"Alpha? Surely that can't be your real name," Jinja's father said with a raised brow. Jinja sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It's a code name, dad," she said, "Now if you don't mind, we have somewhere to be today, so I'd rather we discuss things later-"

"Oh no you don't young lady!" he protested immediately, "You haven't answered us for _days_ , and we come back to find out you were involved with some sort of death machine or something?"

"Darling, calm down," Jinja's mother said, "I'm sure she has an excuse, just like all the other times. How about we just go sit down and-"

"Don't 'darling' me Vera!" Jinja's father exclaimed, "How can you just stand there knowing the type of things she's had to go through! W-With the monster fights and assassins and crazy armies- look at her hair!"

Jinja rolled her eyes, "I think you're overacting. It'll grow back."

He turned back to her with a leer. Before he could respond, something beeped in his pocket. With a sigh, he pulled out a cell phone. His eyes scanned across the screen.

"... We're not done yet," he said, putting it back in his pocket, "Jinja. You _will_ give us an answer by the end of the week, or we'll do it for you!"

With that, he turned on his heel, her mother quickly following behind. The woman cast Jinja a worried look, but didn't say anything, simply shaking her head. Jinja watched as the two trailed back down the hall towards the top deck.

She let out a sigh. That could've gone better.

"... Sorry you had to see that," she said to Alpha, "I didn't expect them to be here today. And, well, obviously we don't see eye to eye."

Her hands brushed through her hair, frustrated with the two of them.

"No. It's fine," Alpha said, "It's kinda funny. Seeing something so normal like that."

She raised a brow, and couldn't help but giggle, "If that's what you want to call it..."

"I...Uh... I actually like how it looks," Alpha said, blushing a bit, "Your hair I mean. I-It looks good."

Jinja snorted, folding her arms together.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said, running a hand through her shortened locks, "I always liked it short when I was younger. It was easier taking judo without having to worry about it catching on something."

That was half true. Her parent's weren't too keen on the idea of her cutting her hair so much during middle school, and eventually had to grow it out. She was kind of fond of it being short, but the longer length grew on her after a while. It hadn't even occurred to her to cut it during the time she was with Chase and Bren when traveling the world.

"By the way," Alpha said, "What were they talking about? An answer to what?"

Jinja grumbled under her breath, starting to walk towards the opposite direction that the two adults had gone in.

"Just business," she said, kicking at the floor a little as they walked, "My dad says it's time for me to get back to school. But it's not exactly on the top of my priority list. Not with Chase still out of it..."

She stopped, feelings of dread building inside. Everyone had been so distant lately. Sometimes it felt like she was the only one visiting Chase, but that couldn't possible be the case. They were a team after all...

Jinja looked down at Charger's core, clutching it tight.

"It isn't just Chase though, is it?" Alpha said, watching her expression, "You'd have to give up monsuno if you become a civilian again, huh?"

She nodded, holding the core a bit closer. It was the agreement they had after joining S.T.O.R.M.. If any of them decided to not be part of the organization, they would have to give up all monsuno related things. Including their monsuno. Jon trusted them, but the world council didn't.

Obviously all their hands were tied by that ultimatum.

"And I can't do that. Not now that I've finally figured out my bond with my monsuno," she said, "And as soon as Chase's dad finds out, he'll be absolutely amazed! As soon as he stops hiding in the critical bay that is."

Alpha raised a brow, obviously confused, "What do you mean?"

She grinned to him, a sudden idea popping into her head. She grabbed his wrist and led him down the hall. She hadn't told anyone yet, so maybe it was about time she did.

"Jinja, where are we-" Alpha stammered as Jinja quickened her pace.

Eventually, they were looking down at the training arena that held monsuno battles for anyone in S.T.O.R.M.. Alpha let out a gasp as he looked down.

Because standing in the middle was Charger

Jinja continued to smile as she pulled him along down into the arena, watching as he continued to stare wide-eyed. The monsuno was running along the edge, as if it were just frolicking along in a field.

"I've been wanting to show everyone else, but they haven't exactly been around," Jinja said, looking at Charger. It knew they were coming the second the thought popped in her head, which was why it was so excited, "With our bond, I've managed to help Charger extend its time outside of the eight minute limit."

The monsuno walked up to her as she stepped forward. It let out a grunt, plopping down and making the floor shake. She pat its side.

"Wait..." Alpha said, holding up his hands, "How long has this been going on?"

"About a week."

"N-no. I don't mean the training. I mean how long has it been out _today_?" he said, expression somewhat panicked.

"I told you. About a week," she said, looking back to Charger, "I've... Kinda known that this would happen eventually. I just couldn't figure out how."

That much was true. Ever since their fight with the monsuno man at the Hand of Destiny's old hideout, Charger had been acting strange when it came to the time limit. Jeredy had reassured her that it was nothing, but it couldn't have just been an accident.

And the strong feelings going through their bond right now was proof of that.

"Maybe it was because of the energy from the seal. Or my monsuno sight getting stronger," she said, letting her forehead rest on Charger's leg, "But it's obvious that things dealing with monsuno are changing. It's about time we start to go beyond our limits..."

That was a challenge that she always sought. Whether it was back in school or here in S.T.O.R.M.. And she knew that it was something that Chase would want them all to do.

And she owed him that much for giving her a way out.

"Jinja."

She turned to Alpha. He had a thoughtful expression as he stared at Charger. He was clutching something in his hand, but she couldn't see what.

"Did you want to leave for the service now?"

"No. It's not that-well actually we should be leaving," he said, then quickly shook his head.

"I'm... Going to need your help with something," Alpha sighed, looking down at his hand, "It's for my squad. I need someone who I can trust with their lives when I'm not there."

Jinja raised a brow, "Hold on there! Don't tell me you're leaving."

Alpha laughed.

"No. Not exactly."

HLP

Bren fumbled with his tie. He pulled out the tux that he wore for the Spin Go! Tournament mission for the service today, but couldn't find himself getting comfortable in it. He was stiff and the fabric rubbed against his bruises and scratches that he still had. But it wasn't like he could complain, considering where he was going in a few moments.

He looked around the crowd about to head for the cloud hoppers, wondering where everyone else was. He hadn't seen hide nor hair of them unless they were visiting Chase, but even then they didn't exactly socialize. He wanted to believe that Chase would be alright, and be as optimistic as ever but...

His eyes landed on the raven-haired girl standing and looking out over the side of the cloud carrier as she leaned on a pair of crutches. Immediately he looked around one last time before walking over.

Tango was in a plain pastel pink T-Shirt and white pants. Bren recognized them as the hospital pajamas, and couldn't help but wonder if she was cold just standing there with flip flops. When he was about to announce his presence, his voice was caught in his throat at how she looked with her hair down and put in a low ponytail. Eventually, he settled for clearing his throat.

She turned to him, eyes reddened. Bren felt his voice lost again, knowing that she had been crying.

"A-Are you sure you should be up right now?" Bren asked, knowing that asking if she was alright was obviously a bad way to start.

"Actually. I feel fine," she said, without any real care, "Besides the sores and broken wrist and leg, everything somehow doesn't hurt as much as I thought."

Bren couldn't help but recall how Beyal felt after they all woke up next to the ocean in the desert all those months ago. Despite being sick the whole time while being possessed, he was okay after only a day. But obviously he hadn't been tossed around like a rag doll the way Tango had been when fighting that monsuno man.

Tango sighed, eyes watching the crowds of people lingering about.

"... I can't believe he's really gone," she said, voice hitching a little, "I knew that he was hurt, but I didn't think... I thought that someone would've..."

She quickly wiped her eyes, sniffling a little.

"It wasn't you're fault," Bren reasoned, pulling out a small handkerchief for her, "If anything, blame the Hand of Destiny. They're the ones who did this to Trey. No you."

Tango shook her head, lightly dabbing her eyes with the fabric.

"No. I can't do that. Not now that I know what they were," she sighed. Bren gave her a confused look, and her gaze dropped somewhat, "I've been... Talking to Chase's mom. And from the sound of it, they were hunting everyone. The Hand of Destiny."

She had a wistful expression as she spoke, eyes distant as she stared off into the clouds.

"Those experiments... They were just people at one point. People with monsuno sight," she slumped a bit in the crutches, wincing at the motion, "They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And that could've easily been one of us..."

Bren was silent, watching her for a moment. He knew she was right though. Chase and Beyal had been hunted by the Hand of Destiny ever since they found out about monsuno sight. If it had been earlier in their travels, who knows what would've happened...

"And I think I know what it felt like," She continued, "When that monsuno took over, I felt so much power. It felt so... Amazing to be so strong. But then... It was also..."

She trailed off, staring forward. Bren scratched his cheek.

"Uh. Scary? Terrifying?"

Tango slowly shook her head, "No. It was lonely."

The wind picked up a little, the grey clouds thundering above. The crowds started to head for the cloud hoppers, drawing their attention.

"I suppose you should go now," she said, looking down. Bren gave her a surprised look.

"You're not going?"

She shook her head, "Only came out her for some air. Can't really stand up for very long, much less for the whole service..."

When she trailed off, Tango looked back over the side towards the sky. Her lips quivered somewhat. Bren could hear the crowds shuffling along slowly, but didn't move to follow.

"... Aren't you going?" she asked him. He didn't answer her, and just continued to look out over the edge as the crowds walked onto the ships. He knew the others would be going, but he had someone else that he needed to be with right now.

Eventually, the sounds of the cloud hoppers had grown far into the distance, leaving the pair alone.

Bren felt something vibrate in his pocket. Quickly, he dug inside to find Neo-Quickforce's core flashing. He never had a strong spiritual connection to his monsuno, but he could definitely tell what it was trying to tell him right now.

"Tango," he said, looking back to her as he grasped it, "Would you... Like to come with me?"

She raised a brow. Immediately Bren felt his cheeks get warm.

"W-Well. What I mean is- Ahem. Would you like a ride?" he said sheepishly, holding up Neo-Quickforce's core. She saw it, eyes lighting up immensely. She took it and his hand, feeling the warmth of it with a smile. When Tango looked back up, tears were pooling down her cheeks that were just as red as his.

"Sure."

Bren nodded, lips still twitching in a nervous grin. He took Neo-Quickforce's core with his other hand, not letting go of hers as he did so.

"Neo-Quickforce, launch!"

Blue light hit the side of the deck, his monsuno appearing immediately. Instead of waiting for them, Neo-Quickforce went up to the pair and knelt down. It let out a soft noise as Tango pat its beak.

"Uh. Do you need help?" Bren asked.

After clumsily helping Tango up and making sure she was perched comfortably on the monsuno, Bren climbed a top with a sigh. Her arms wound around his chest, and she leaned against his back. He stiffened immediately.

Of course, Neo-Quickforce took that as a sign to take off.

It let out a whine, leaping over the side gracefully as its wings spread wide to catch the draft. Bren let out a small sound of surprise, but his monsuno knew better, easily keeping him and the recovering girl aboard. Her grip tightened, and he tried not to let his grip slip as they started to soar besides the cloud carrier.

"... I never got the chance to say it. But, thank you," she said, her cheek rubbing against his shoulder, "I was so scared that something would happen to you and the others that I forgot to think about myself. So, thank you for saving me against that monsuno man."

He felt his lips twitch nervously as his palm got sweaty, "Uh... If we're being honest, you were the one who mostly saved me. Multiple times actually. I just threw the Core Tablet around."

That in itself was odd. Bren was always so careful with the device all the time, caring about that hunk of metal like it was his own life. Sure it was necessary to help find Chase's dad, but at this point he had just been carrying it around for sentimental reasons. Besides. Tango was more important then that replaceable tablet.

Blinking with a sudden thought, he gently nudged her away enough to turn around so that they were facing each other. Wordlessly, he pulled the broken device out. The two gazed down at it, seeing how pitiful it now looked.

"It's a shame. Your high score for Zombie Attack Max was on there," Tango said. Bren shook his head.

"No. It did more then that. It helped get me and everyone else out of trouble most of the time we were looking for Chase's dad... But you know what," he said, looking up to her, "I don't think I need it anymore. Not when you're here to protect me."

She looked up with a blush, and flashed him another smile. Bren threw it off to the side, watching as it fluttered in the wind and disappeared in the clouds. He looked back to her, seeing her eyes welling up with tears again. But by the smile on his face, he knew they weren't bad.

Because he could feel his own eyes become wet.

She leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

"Just as long as you don't leave me alone," Tango said, her fingers intertwining with his.

They flew up far about the storming clouds and everyone else. The gray fading away as the blue skies shone brightly above. Because up here in the open skies, it was only the two of them.

HLP

 _He couldn't breath._

 _It was suffocating to be here. Everything hurt. Everything was dark. He couldn't move. There was no one to help. He was alone._

 _He was alone._

 _"You can't fight it."_

 _He needed to open his eyes._

 _He needed to move._

 _"As much as you want to, you cannot go back."_

 _He needed to get back to them._

 _He had to get away._

 _"Relapsing back into humanity is not an option once the fragment takes root. It was never an option for any of us!"_

Chase gasped, trying hard to fill his lungs as he woke from another nightmare. His eyes stared all around the room, the only light coming inside through the window. Clouds swarmed the sky, some light rain already hitting the glass. He sighed, letting his head drop back onto the pillow as thunder made the windows rattle.

He had been going in and out of consciousness for what felt like forever. Every time he wanted to get rest and closed his eyes, he could still feel the pain of Locke being ripped away. He stared up at the ceiling, turning to the bed stand.

A vase of half wilted blossoms was sitting next to his cores. He was glad they were so close. It made it seem less lonely. Sure there were times when the others would come and visit, but he often just laid there not really wanting to talk to any of them. He didn't even need to play possum, usually already asleep from the overwhelming exhaustion he felt.

But whenever he did have the strength, he would sit up and try to connect to his monsuno. But for some reason, he couldn't remember how to. He knew about his monsuno and the bonds they shared, but things about fighting and his monsuno sight were completely wiped away from his memory.

"I'm sure that's why I can't spin out," Chase muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes, "... It had to be what _he_ did."

He didn't even want to tell the others right now. They all assumed he was still resting, but that couldn't be further from the truth. He had been fine a week ago, shockingly so.

Chase sighed, slumping into the bed. He felt completely helpless right now. From one of the charts that he looked at, apparently his dad had to perform sugary for a whole day. But there was no indication that he had taken out the monsuno shard...

And as much as he wanted to lie around and wait, he knew he wasn't going to get better. Not like this.

Chase rose up and swung his legs over the side of his bed. Slowly, he slipped the pair of sandals on and grabbed his cores. He didn't actually touch them, only taking the belt. It burned whenever he held them directly. Standing up, his legs prickled. He winced, muscles sore and weak from lack of use.

He looked out the window, hearing it rattle from the wind. Shaking his head, Chase walked out the room. He knew the exact path he needed to take to get to where he needed to go first.

Still, he was cautious about getting spotted by someone, knowing everyone would make a big deal out of it. As he started going down the less used hall, he failed to hear the pair of footsteps coming from the other hall until they were almost on top of him

Panicking, Chase darted around until he stumbled into the nearest room. He kept the door open enough to see into the hallway.

To his surprise, it was a woman with jet black hair, wearing an equally black dress. She stopped, turning around to look behind. The other pair of footsteps shuffled along slowly, belonging to-

"Sebastian!" Chase breathed in surprise, seeing the kid in a suit. He slapped a hand over his mouth when the woman looked in his direction. Obviously she was more concerned with the boy, turning back to him with a sigh.

"Come along Sebastian. We'll be late," the woman said, holding her hand out. He stopped, clutching something close to his chest. Chase leaned closer, recognizing it as a picture frame. He gasped, seeing Commander Trey's portrait inside.

The woman sighed, then knelt down in front of the boy. His gaze was low, staring at the floor.

She tilted his face up so their eyes met. Her's were soft with understanding, gently brushing his cheek with her thumb as they stared at each other. Sebastian's filled with tears immediately, and she brought him closer. His sobs were muffled, shoulders shaking as she held him in the crook of her neck.

Eventually, she pushed him away enough so that they were face to face again, "... Be strong son."

Sebastian wiped his eyes, nose starting to drip. She took his hand, stood up, and slowly guided him down the hallway. His hiccuping trailed behind them.

Chase sat there, not even remembering when he had dropped to his knees. Dazed, his shoulders slumped down. He leant his head against the wall, banging it a few times.

"... Idiot."

Slowly, he found the strength to stand. Shaking, he made his way down the hallway. The trip went by in a blur, eventually ending up in front of a door with caution tape stretched across. He pushed it out of the way and went inside.

The clean up crew did miracle work, the flat looking exactly the way it did when they first moved in. He didn't bother turning on the lights, stumbling off towards his room. Even that looked new, though he didn't remember it being harmed in the blast after the Hand of Destiny had come in.

Chase opened the drawers, seeing his clothes inside. Silently, he dug out a bag and slowly started throwing things inside. He didn't even care much about sorting it all, going into autopilot as his mind shut down.

'This is for the best,' he thought, 'How am I supposed to face everyone after all that...'

Finally, the bag was filled, and he zipped it back up. A cold wind came through, and Chase shivered. Remembering how he was still in the hospital pajamas, he pulled another pair of clothes out to change in. It took a while to maneuver out of the thin fabric, and even longer to get his normal outfit on. He paused as he slipped his mother's necklace out of his T-shirt, the string brushing against the scar against the back of his neck. Chase rubbed it, feeling the ridged skin as it healed.

Looking around, he realized he forgot his jacket in the hospital room. But with how ripped it was, it wouldn't be very useful.

He took his belt in hand, looking down at the cores. The energy shone brightly in the dark room. His grip tightened on it, a jolt going through his fingertips when they brushed against Locke's core.

"I suppose it's time huh," he said, gazing down at them, "... Are you here to stop me?"

He turned around, seeing a familiar white haired monk standing in the doorway.

"... No. Not really," Beyal said, looking off to the side, "Just... Wanting to know why."

"I can't be here anymore," Chase said, looking back down at the cores, "This whole thing was my fault. Everyone has suffered... The more I tried to fix things the worst it got."

Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the room briefly.

"And I'm not just talking about this past week," he continued, hearing the rain pelting against the window now, "Any time the Hand of Destiny is involved, it spells trouble for everyone around me. And I can't do anything about it!"

Thunder rattle the windows. Chase clutched his chest, feeling the cold burning feeling ghost through his body.

"... They're still out there," Chase said, looking out through the window, "I can feel it. I can't explain how, but I know they are."

"Then what are you going to do?" Beyal asked gently, "There's something else bothering you... You know we can help you, so why are you leaving?"

Chase stared down at the cores, placing them down on his bed.

"I don't have my monsuno sight anymore... I can't remember how to fight. Even if I did stay, there's no way I can fix this," he muttered, Sebastian's face flashing in his mind briefly, "I can't fix _any_ of it..."

He shook his head, feeling the other watching him. When Beyal didn't respond, Chase continued,

"I can't connect to Locke anymore. I saved him, but they took the one thing that kept us together. In the end, they still took him away from me..."

He shook his head again.

"I need to get out of here. There has to be a way for me to regain my monsuno sight. A way for me to hear Locke again. That's all I want to focus on right now, and being around everyone else would be distracting."

When the monk didn't respond, and he turned around a bit sheepishly.

"You probably think I'm crazy right?" he asked. Surprisingly, Beyal shook his head.

"No. It makes sense. I think what you're doing is right," he said, eyes looking off to the side. He didn't anything, staring off as if someone else were there, "... But. What will happen if you run into them?"

Chase shrugged, "Nothing. This whole ordeal has made me realize that looking for fights with them has only caused trouble for everyone else around me. I underestimated them, and overestimated my abilities. So until I find my connection again, I'm not going to go looking for trouble."

Beyal laughed, "That wasn't what I meant, but okay. Still, you tend to draw trouble wherever you go. So, I don't think you should be doing this alone in your state. And I'm not letting you leave here on your own either."

Chase raised a brow, eyes soon widening at what the monk was hinting at.

"No, I can't ask that of you," Chase said, "What about everyone here? You guys need to stay together now more then ever- Especially if I'm leaving."

"Chase Suno," Beyal said, staring at him intently, "remember the first time we met? When I said that my mission was to follow you."

"Yeah," Chase mumbled. He had actual forgotten, it was so long ago. After first meeting the monk and the old man and learning about the prophecy, Beyal had made a promise to him. He didn't think much of it at the time, especially considering everything that happened.

"That still stands true. Monsuno sight or not," the white-haired teen said firmly, "And even if you think you can do this alone, where would you go?"

He couldn't argue with that. As much as he wanted to get away from everyone, Chase had no clue where to start. He had a few places in mind, but what about after that? Would he want to come back? And who's to say he would even succeed. He let out a sigh, and looked to the other. Since when did Beyal become so wise?

"I guess you're right," Chase responded.

"Good, then we'll go after the service," Beyal said.

"... No," Chase said, taking the other's shoulder, "I... I can't face them... Not yet..."

Beyal tilted his head a little, but didn't question it. He walked out into the hall, waiting for the other to follow.

Chase took an envelope out from his pajama pocket, something that he had written days ago when he started planning. He placed it on his pillow next to his cores, a bittersweet smile on his lips. Chase glanced around one last time, knowing it would be a while before he returned.

"So. Where should we go?" he asked, slinging his bag on his back.

"I have a place in mind," Beyal said, smiling a bit, "it's a bit far, on the edge of mandala. But I think it's a good start for your journey."

Chase let out a soft sigh, then looked out towards the skies. The rain had cleared enough for the sun to peer through. Rays shining through from the heavens as a flash of white soared through.

"Sounds good to me."

End.

* * *

A/N:

OH MY GOD ITS DONE

THIS HAS TAKEN LONGER THEN I THOUGHT BUT MAN AM I HAPPY WITH IT

Thanks to everyone reading, reviewing, following, favoriting, etc. I can't believe that the fandom was still interested in the story so much. I half want to keep the story the way it is, but there's also a part of me that wants to write a one-shot epilogue.

BUT. I don't want to do that. If only because Discord needs to be finished AND my next big project focusing entirely on the Strike Squad is something that I'm looking forward to. So far here's the preview description of the fic entitled 'Corruption' :

 _When Team Core Tech goes missing, it's up to Alpha and the gang to find out where they went. But with strange new cores showing up at the fighting rings, they might be over there heads on this one._

That'll probably show up in the next few weeks. Hopefully before February. But until then-

Review Review Review!


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